Oldham MP urges action on cuts again

Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon

Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon, the shadow local government minister, led from the dispatch box in highlighting the damage that Government’s funding cuts have caused on Greater Manchester local councils.

According to figures obtained by the Local Government Association, by 2020 Greater Manchester councils will see a £6.5bn difference in funding from what they received in 2010 – a 23% difference.

This means that people across Greater Manchester will see £528 less spent on their household than they would have done in 2010.

A double blow of funding cuts and inertia from the government have pushed councils across Greater Manchester to the brink of collapse.

The Government has defended its actions by stating that they have increased real-terms funding to councils.

However, a report released earlier this month by the respected National Audit Office indicates that there has been a 49% real-terms reduction in funding for local authorities from 2010-11 to 2017-18, and a 29% reduction in their spending power (Government funding plus council tax).

Council services are being squeezed to breaking point as they desperately try to bridge this funding gap with a growth in demand for services –in particular adults and children’s social care.

This week Mr McMahon raised the plight of councils again to the Government from the Labour frontbench, and again urged action.

He said: “Year on year cuts have left public services across Greater Manchester stretched to breaking point.

"Councils are being forced to strip-back services to local communities, and are having to take drastic action such as increasing council tax bills to pay for vital services.

“But it is not good enough to expect hard working local residents to keep paying more in council tax.

"The Government have squandered numerous opportunities to fix funding for councils.

"Instead, Sajid Javid has overseen the civic destruction of local public services and facilities with little care or understanding of the consequences.

"His legacy will be a system not just at breaking point, but broken completely unless urgent action is taken.”