Autumn statement reaction: Government passing the buck to local communities

Responding to the autumn statement made by the Chancellor earlier today, Council Leader Keith Aspden has condemned the tax bombshell passed to local communities.

Council Leader Keith Aspden commented:

“The Government have passed the buck for their mismanagement of the economy to councils and in turn families and pensioners just when they’re struggling with the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. This is just as real Household Disposable Income per person is set to fall more than 7% over next two years.

“Short term extension of help with energy bills and uplift to benefits, whilst very welcome, will not go anywhere near to make up for the rise in taxes and real-terms eye-watering spending cuts that will impact all public services and everyone who relies on them – from social care to public transport.

“Plans to paper over the gaps of decades of local council underfunding by lifting the council tax cap is a wholly inappropriate way to fund social care. The ‘extra funding’ announced by the Chancellor for social care is nothing more than smoke and mirrors – made up of forcing councils to raise regressive and unfair council tax by 5% to pay for government incompetence. This will hit households hard and will not adequately fund core public services.

“Boris Johnson promised to “fix” social care in 2019 but today delivered yet more delay and one-off sticking plasters through council tax rises. This remains a wholly inadequate substitute for a national problem that is already putting some councils, such as the Conservative led Hampshire and Kent, on the brink of bankruptcy. Today’s announcement simply passes to buck on to local communities. 

“The Conservatives’ chaos and incompetence is hitting every household with a massive tax bill and weaker public services.”