Oldham Labour Council’s Deputy Leaders have summed up the damage done to Council Services by Coalition and Conservative Governments since 2010.

The National Audit Office estimates that between 2010/11 and 2020-21 government funded spending power in Oldham reduced by 53.7% in real terms, that in 2019-20 social care accounted for 53.6% of all service spend for Oldham Council, and that in 2010-11 central government funding to Oldham’s revenue budget equated to £203m and in 2019-20 that figure was £39.5m.

Councils across the country are struggling to meet contractual inflationary pressures brought on by inflation of over 10%, and current estimates mean this Council’s budget will not be able to cover these costs without further cuts. In November 2022, Conservative run Kent and Hampshire County Councils wrote to the Prime Minister to warn him that that they will be forced to declare bankruptcy within the next few months because of the unprecedented financial crisis facing both councils.

Deputy Leader Councillor Abdul Jabbar is sending the message ‘Don’t take it out on us’ to the Conservative Government. He said  Oldham faces the same budget problems as every other Council. Council Services cannot take any more cuts imposed by central government. Since 2010 Oldham has had 45% of its funding from central government cut, and since 2010 successive Conservative Governments have forced local authorities to raise council tax to help meet this shortfall.

For over a decade Conservative Governments have forced councils – of every political persuasion – to raise council tax , leading to an abhorrent situation where the council runs less services despite increasing Council Tax. This is not sustainable. The Autumn Statement didn’t give Oldham the help we need, despite the Government blowing a big hole in the nation’s finances.

Council tax needs urgent reform – even Michael Gove says it is regressive, meaning poorer people pay more than they should – and we need long term financial information to help us to plan properly.’

Deputy Leader Elaine Taylor added ‘We have set up the £3m ‘We can help’ campaign to help Oldham residents cope with the Tory cost of living crisis and are doing as much as we can to protect children’s services and adult social care. Next week we will ask every political party on the Council to write jointly to the Government to ask them to properly and fairly fund local government and social care so that local authorities aren’t forced to hike Council Tax and invite Oldham residents to sign the letter. Labour will also urge the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to speed the review into Council Tax so our residents aren’t continually hammered by this regressive tax.’