Burnley councillor slams government over harsh funding cuts
The Burnley councillor responsible for overseeing the town’s finances has criticised the government over new funding arrangements that she says will see the town lose a significant portion of support over the next three years.
Coun. Margaret Lishman, who is also the council’s deputy leader, said the fair funding review announed this week was anything but fair.
“The Labour Government has come up with a new way of calculating how much we receive from the central pot. They call it the fair funding review but it’s anything but fair for Burnley and people who live here. Burnley has ended up in the small group of councils which will lose more than 15% of government funding over three years. That’s despite high levels of deprivation in the town. The cut has been capped at 5% over the three years, but in terms of real cash, it means a reduction of nearly 10% in the amount we will receive. In addition, the government’s numbers assume we will raise council tax by the maximum allowed each year just to keep services at the present level.”
Coun. Lishman said Burnley has once again been let down by the government, pointing to unkept promises to support councils serving communities in greatest need. She highlighted the council’s strong financial record and the dedication of staff who work to maintain local services and green spaces, contrasting this with the approach of the Reform County Council.
“There is absolutely no doubt that Burnley has been let down again by government. Labour has simply not kept their promise to help Councils with residents in the greatest need. In Burnley, we have a good record of managing our finances. The administration of Independents, Liberal Democrats and Greens is supported by excellent staff who really care about what they achieve for Burnley. We will continue to do our best to ensure that our services and green spaces are managed well. That is very different from the Reform County Council looking to cut vital services, particularly for older people in need, and to put up council tax by the maximum amount they can. Burnley people are being let down both by Reform in Preston and the Labour Government in London. Our Council will keep on maintaining our services as well as balancing the books every year.”