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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/18/the-scandal-of-councils-in-affluent-areas-getting-a-better-deal
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| The scandal of councils in affluent areas getting a better deal | The scandal of councils in affluent areas getting a better deal |
| (4 months later) | |
| Owen Jones (A quiet crisis? No, we’re just not listening, 13 September) is right that Brexit is overshadowing the issue of crippling government cuts to council funding. This is a national scandal that is having and will continue to have an impact on people’s lives at least as significant as Brexit. Eight years of austerity has seen Nottingham’s main government funding slashed from £127m to £25m, despite the city council serving some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country. Councils serving affluent areas are not only getting a better deal under the government’s unfair funding formula, but have also benefited from extra government handouts over the last few years. | Owen Jones (A quiet crisis? No, we’re just not listening, 13 September) is right that Brexit is overshadowing the issue of crippling government cuts to council funding. This is a national scandal that is having and will continue to have an impact on people’s lives at least as significant as Brexit. Eight years of austerity has seen Nottingham’s main government funding slashed from £127m to £25m, despite the city council serving some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country. Councils serving affluent areas are not only getting a better deal under the government’s unfair funding formula, but have also benefited from extra government handouts over the last few years. |
| Surrey county council, one of the wealthiest authorities in the country, benefited from £24m of a fund designed to soften the blow of the cuts – the most for any council – while councils like ours received nothing. The government has refused to tell us its criteria for allocation. However, what’s clear is that Conservative-led authorities benefited from 89% of the £300m provided over two years, and are now set to get 86% of the further £153m being allocated under a new scheme. Surrey will get £17m and, again, we get nothing. | Surrey county council, one of the wealthiest authorities in the country, benefited from £24m of a fund designed to soften the blow of the cuts – the most for any council – while councils like ours received nothing. The government has refused to tell us its criteria for allocation. However, what’s clear is that Conservative-led authorities benefited from 89% of the £300m provided over two years, and are now set to get 86% of the further £153m being allocated under a new scheme. Surrey will get £17m and, again, we get nothing. |
| It’s high time that this was taken seriously at a national level, given the devastating effect that austerity is having on our communities.Cllr Jon CollinsLeader, Nottingham city council | It’s high time that this was taken seriously at a national level, given the devastating effect that austerity is having on our communities.Cllr Jon CollinsLeader, Nottingham city council |
| • John Harris alludes to the so-called “council tax freeze grant” (Somerset takes drastic measures as votes to cut £28m of help for vulnerable, 15 September). What this amounted to was a bribe from the government to councils that were prepared to “freeze” their council tax rises. To begin with, almost all councils accepted this “offer” and held down rises. | • John Harris alludes to the so-called “council tax freeze grant” (Somerset takes drastic measures as votes to cut £28m of help for vulnerable, 15 September). What this amounted to was a bribe from the government to councils that were prepared to “freeze” their council tax rises. To begin with, almost all councils accepted this “offer” and held down rises. |
| However, as cracks started to appear, the tactic changed. Councils were permitted to raise their council tax by under 2%. Anything over that amount would have had to be put to a local referendum. Needless to say, most councils balked at this idea and many raised their tax by 1.9%. I am convinced that, had councils been allowed to raise their council tax by at least 2% per annum when austerity kicked in, many, if not all, would be in a more healthy financial state than they are today. | However, as cracks started to appear, the tactic changed. Councils were permitted to raise their council tax by under 2%. Anything over that amount would have had to be put to a local referendum. Needless to say, most councils balked at this idea and many raised their tax by 1.9%. I am convinced that, had councils been allowed to raise their council tax by at least 2% per annum when austerity kicked in, many, if not all, would be in a more healthy financial state than they are today. |
| While all this has been happening, the central government grant, which used to account for nearly two-thirds of councils’ expenditure, has been gradually reduced so that, by next year, it could all but disappear. So how on earth is local government expected to provide vital services? Some of us have been predicting this state of affairs for years. But who was listening? Only a reform of council structure (replacing the remaining two-tier authorities with unitary authorities) and of local government finance (replacing the council tax with a combination of local income tax, property tax or land value tax) will breathe life back into an essential part of our democracy that is in grave danger of disappearing.John Marriott(County councillor, 2001-17), North Hykeham, Lincolnshire | While all this has been happening, the central government grant, which used to account for nearly two-thirds of councils’ expenditure, has been gradually reduced so that, by next year, it could all but disappear. So how on earth is local government expected to provide vital services? Some of us have been predicting this state of affairs for years. But who was listening? Only a reform of council structure (replacing the remaining two-tier authorities with unitary authorities) and of local government finance (replacing the council tax with a combination of local income tax, property tax or land value tax) will breathe life back into an essential part of our democracy that is in grave danger of disappearing.John Marriott(County councillor, 2001-17), North Hykeham, Lincolnshire |
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