Leaders of four London councils have formally challenged Government reforms that could wipeout up to two-thirds of their funding.
uncertain
that → challenge → funding
Wandsworth, Richmond, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster leaders handed alternative financial plans to the Treasury on Thursday and called on ministers to re-evaluate the overhaul of local government funding.
asserted
leaders → hand → funding
Three of the councils are run by the Conservative Party, while a fourth, Richmond, is Liberal Democrat-led.
asserted
fourth → run → Party
According to Conservative-led Wandsworth Council, the proposed measures will cut its central funding by £84million annually, equivalent to a 40% reduction by 2030.
The changes, known as the Fair Funding Review, aim to shift more cash towards areas with higher deprivation.
uncertain
changes → accord → deprivation
The service reductions includes shutting its cost-of-living reserve, with its £6.2m of unspent funds.
It also plans to replace the former Labour administration’s Access for All, which offered discounted access for eligible residents to local leisure, sports, cultural, and council services, with a much smaller concessionary scheme.
asserted
which → include → scheme
The south London council’s cost-cutting programme will involve cancelling its Borough of Sanctuary status and suspending voluntary sector grants for four years.
asserted
programme → cut → years
Resources at flagship authority Westminster City Council are due to drop by about £100m – just over 45%.
asserted
Resources → drop → 100
The central London authority announced this week it will lay off 520 people in the town hall’s most brutal ever staff cuts.
asserted
it → announce → cuts
The 15% reduction in its workforce was blamed on the “unprecedented” reduction to its budget.
asserted
reduction → blame → budget
Richmond, in west London, is set to be stripped of £26m, 58% of its core funding, by 2030.
asserted
Richmond → set → 2030
Thousands of residents responded to consultations asking for feedback on the councils’ plans to challenge the reforms, which they said they are pressing ahead with to protect vital services.
asserted
they → respond → services
The authorities have now formally submitted their revised funding proposals, under the Sustainable Communities Act, pressing the Government to reconsider its decision.
asserted
authorities → submit → decision
Robert Morritt, Conservative leader of Wandsworth Council, said: “Residents should not have to pick up the bill for changes imposed by Whitehall.
asserted
Residents → say → Whitehall
This proposal takes our case directly to Government.
asserted
proposal → take → Government
“We are using every route available to fight for a fairer deal and protect Wandsworth taxpayers.”
asserted
We → use → taxpayers
Gareth Roberts, Lib Dem leader of Richmond, said the cuts risked “pushing this council towards a financial cliff edge”.
asserted
cuts → say → edge
He said: “We will not stand by while Whitehall forces our residents to pay the price for a deeply flawed formula.
asserted
Whitehall → say → formula
“We are taking this fight directly to Government and using every route available to demand a settlement that protects services and gives Richmond a fair deal.”
asserted
that → take → deal
Elizabeth Campbell, Tory leader of Kensington and Chelsea, said: “I will use every tool at my disposal to fight these cuts, stand up for our residents and secure the fair deal our borough deserves.”
asserted
borough → say → deal
Hammersmith and Fulham, the only Labour-led authority in London impacted by the funding shake-up, declined to join in with the action.
asserted
Hammersmith → lead → action
Councillor Rowan Ree, cabinet member for finance and reform at the west London borough, said, should the cuts be delivered as proposed, it would “take extraordinary action to mitigate these changes”.
asserted
it → say → changes
Ministers have argued that local authorities with “historically low” council tax levels will have the cash they receive from Whitehall reduced following the Fair Funding Review, forcing them to bring bills into line with national averages to make up shortfalls.
asserted
they → argue → shortfalls
In a previous statement, a spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We have consulted extensively on reforming the outdated council funding system to ensure money goes where it is most needed, following on from a long-standing consensus.
asserted
it → say → consensus
“We’re also protecting councils through transitional arrangements so no area faces a cliff edge.”
asserted
area → protect → edge
The Aporia
