Gransnet forums

News & politics

So the North to be the loser again.

(51 Posts)
Nandalot Sat 25-Jan-20 10:14:31

A new council funding review is recommending that some of the councils in the poorest areas should lose some of their allocation whilst those in the more affluent areas, particularly the south, should gain.
www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jan/25/former-red-wall-areas-could-lose-millions-in-council-funding-review?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVS19XZWVrZW5kLTIwMDEyNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUK_email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK
Unbelievable!

Alexa Sat 25-Jan-20 10:16:53

Is it now a legal fixture that the former 'red' areas have to be deprived of funding?

If this is an idea up for debate might we find out whose idea it is?

Hetty58 Sat 25-Jan-20 10:19:57

No surprise there!

gillybob Sat 25-Jan-20 10:20:05

One of the things that makes me angry about our Labour led council is ;

How, in such a deprived and poor borough can the council executives be some of the highest paid in the country ?
How can they justify raising our council taxes ( some of the highest in the country) and cutting back on much needed services in order to pay their greedy fat cat salaries ?

ladymuck Sat 25-Jan-20 10:46:04

Does this mean that some of the funding will come directly from the government rather than the local council?
For instance, road maintenance is the responsibility of the county council, not the local council.
Waste management varies from district to district.

It could be that these councils are considered to be poor managers of resources, and funding for certain services is going to come directly from the government.

Nandalot Sat 25-Jan-20 10:50:10

Alexa, I think it was a government commissioned report that is making these suggestions, Let’s hope the government takes no notice of it.

gillybob Sat 25-Jan-20 10:50:18

Our council are absolutely brilliant at managing their own salary increases and pushing up council taxes to the highest levels allowed . Sadly they are Not so good at keeping public services going, mending roads, education etc.

suziewoozie Sat 25-Jan-20 10:55:49

About half of local govt spending is funded from central govt, 32% from council tax and rest from business rates. So central govt have great power in deciding who gets what based on criteria they decide.

ladymuck Sat 25-Jan-20 10:56:20

Where I live the council are great at green spaces. We have wonderful parks and any bits of spare land are planted with wild flowers.
However, crime has increased because so many of the CCTV cameras have gone. Dog fouling is a big problem.
Fly-tipping has increased because the council charge to remove spare refuse; yet the next town has free collections once a month.
Running the council is the same as running a household, everyone does it differently.

halfgran Sat 25-Jan-20 14:42:19

Gillybob you missed out the extravagant meetings catering and civic functions smile

gillybob Sat 25-Jan-20 16:06:52

Oh yes of course there’s always plenty cash for those halfgran angry

MaizieD Sat 25-Jan-20 16:11:42

So, gillybob, you will no doubt be delighted that your local council may well be one of the ones that would lose funding under the new proposals?

gillybob Sat 25-Jan-20 17:15:35

Of course not MazieD I just wish the budget they do have, was managed correctly ( and fairly) instead of huge amounts of tax payers money being diverted to pay fat cat salaries before anything else .

Ilovecheese Sat 25-Jan-20 18:08:46

I would have thought that Boris Johnson would be more likely to reward the former Labour areas for "lending him their vote" how will he hang on to their votes if they receive no benefit for voting for him.

suziewoozie Sat 25-Jan-20 18:16:02

Lots of assumptions in that post Ilove.

Iam64 Sat 25-Jan-20 18:16:30

Dream On Ilovecheese. the poor northern councils, like mine, have had their budgets devastated whilst wealthy councils in the south east had theirs increased.

Chewbacca Sat 25-Jan-20 18:39:25

Our local council is so corrupt that's it's faced no fewer than 6 police investigations. It's comforting to know that our council tax is high, and increases every year, to pay the salaries of those who are suspended whilst being investigated for possible criminal activities. North of England.

Ilovecheese Sat 25-Jan-20 18:45:11

Just seemed like common sense from Boris Johnson's point of view of wanting to hang on to the votes in the former "red wall".

We have a mayor in Manchester even though we voted in a referendum 60 /40 against having one.
But I have to admit that Andy Burnam seems to be having a good go at it. Not sure what his salary is but I do know that he gives a percentage to try to eradicate homelessness in the city.

suziewoozie Sat 25-Jan-20 19:18:24

Now I know you’re having a laugh Ilove BJ and common sense? ?

Labaik Sat 25-Jan-20 19:25:58

But I thought Johnson had scooted up north after the election to personally thank them for voting for him and promising to repay their trust hmm?

Liz46 Sat 25-Jan-20 19:29:15

Does your council have very highly paid consultants at the drop of a hat gillybob? Our incompetant (Labour run) council pays a fortune on consultants and then closes libraries etc.

One cracking suggestion from the council was to do away with the car park in our town and build houses. There would have been nowhere for people visiting local businesses and banks to park. There is an excellent butcher and other good shops that would probably had to close down if protests hadn't put a stop to the idea.

suziewoozie Sat 25-Jan-20 19:30:56

Lab it’s just about probable that he was lying ?

Ilovecheese Sat 25-Jan-20 19:35:11

Surely not! suziewoozie

growstuff Sat 25-Jan-20 20:47:40

Council funding has always come mainly from central government. Councils use the council taxes they raise to pay into a central pot and then redistribute via a funding formula based on perceived need. Wealthy areas receive back less than they contribute. Some areas can raise less because they have fewer high value properties and the formula is supposed to address that.

What this government has done since 2010 is adjust the formula, so that there is less redistribution. People blame their own councils, especially in Labour areas, when there is less money to spend. However, in reality, it is because the have been given less money from the central pot. It's been a way of "blaming" local councils and diverting from the role of central government. Meanwhile, thriving areas (mainly Conservative) are receiving more or, at least, not having their grants cut.

growstuff Sat 25-Jan-20 20:49:10

… and people then post on sites such as GN blaming their Labour run councils hmm.

BTW Conservative-run Essex is closing libraries too.