CCIN Members’ Update December 2020

• 16th Dec 2020

Welcome to the December edition of Update

Last month the Government announced its Autumn Statement. Funding for us, as with councils everywhere, continues to be an extreme concern.  This would have been the case even without the Covid pandemic but that has put the local government funding crisis into an even sharper focus as our costs have rocketed and our income has fallen drastically.  The Government has provided some funding to meet the costs, but there is no doubt that their promise to local government at the start of the crisis that we were to do everything needed to support our communities and they would provide the funding to do so, has not been kept.

The Local Government Association estimates there is still a £5.8 bn funding gap and the issues around funding of social care cannot be resolved by the government’s proposal of a further 3% social care precept this year.  Council tax rises will prove difficult for many residents whose household income has already been hit by job losses or reduced hours and council tax increases can further worsen existing inequalities as poorer areas benefit less from them than those with strong economies.  Our councils want to support their communities through to the recovery as they have done during the pandemic.  We need proper, sustainable funding to do so.
 
We do have lots to celebrate this month, as we welcome Wigan Council to the Network.  Congratulations to the winners, and those nominated, in the LGIU Councillor of the Year Awards.  You can read more about these stories in this edition of Update.
 
I hope that you enjoy this Member Update.
 
Best wishes for a restful Christmas and a peaceful 2021. 

Stay safe.

Sharon

 

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