Council fails to make case for Fair Funding

Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed disappointment at a “missed opportunity” by the council’s Labour bosses to make the case for a Fair Funding solution for the City of York Council’s financial settlement with the Government. 

This follows a Liberal Democrat motion to Full Council in July, supported by all Councillors, that called for the Council Leader, Cllr Claire Douglas, and Leader of the Opposition Lib Dem Group, Cllr Nigel Ayre, to write a letter to the new Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The letter would have urged the Government to take action to resolve York’s chronic underfunding by central Government by closing the funding gap between York and the national average within this Parliament. 

Councillor Nigel Ayre said:

“We are disappointed that the Labour administration chose to ignore this Council motion ahead of the Chancellor’s budget last week. This is a missed opportunity and could put us at the back of the funding queue behind more effective Councils. 

“This could have been a constructive moment for the parties to come together and for the new Labour Government to put fairness at the top of the agenda for local government financing. 

“Introducing a 90% floor in funding for local authorities would be enough for the Council to scrap the Green Bin Tax, properly fund adult social care and reverse the devastating austerity measures this Labour Council has chosen to pursue.

“It’s therefore concerning that Labour have ignored this motion, presumably happy to continue making £10 million cuts year on year.”