MP condemns LABOUR for voting against Monday’s local government financial Plan 2019/20

The 2019/20 financial settlement plan passed through Parliament on Monday.

The vote for the Financial Settlement Plan showed the Government is committed to helping local authorities plan for the long-term.

The plan means an increase of £1.3 billion, taking council funding to over £46 billion in this financial year, including a £650 million increase for social care, with £450 million ringfenced for adult and children’s social care. It also included the largest increase in police funding since 2010.

James Brokenshire MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government stated: “This year’s settlement paves the way for a fairer, more self-sufficient and resilient future for local government. That is why local authorities will have more control over the money they raise and a real term increase in their core spending power.”

Damien Moore MP welcomed the additional funding for Southport, criticising Labour for objecting to it:

‘On Monday, I voted for an increase in police and local government funding for Southport whilst Labour voted against it and proposed no alternative.’

‘I believe residents in Southport already contribute a significant amount in taxes. This additional funding allocation is that money being reinvested directly into our local services in Southport.

‘Locally, Labour’s Police Commissioner for Merseyside has announced plans to impose an additional police precept on Southport residents, but won’t tell us whether that money will be spent in our town.

‘It’s a shameful ploy by the Labour Party who continue to oppose money being spent directly on our town but support additional taxes on Southport residents if the money is to be spent elsewhere.

In the 2019-20 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Communities Secretary confirmed core spending power will increase to £46.4 billion in 2019-20 which represents a cash increase of 2.8%.

For more information please contact Damien Moore at damien.moore.mp@parliament.uk or 4 Post Office Avenue, Southport, PR9 0US. Tel 01704 500577.