Satvir Kaur MP has welcomed the Labour Government’s announcement that Southampton City Council will get a £84.6 million cash injection for essential services – a 32% increase in the Council’s spending power. Under the Tories, local authorities were starved of investment, with core spending power down by around a quarter since 2010. That put immense pressure on councils up and down the country, including Southampton City Council. But the Labour Government has announced a radical overhaul of how local government is funded, reversing Rishi Sunak’s cheap political efforts to put money into wealthy shires and Tory seats.
Fair Funding is the next step on Labour’s journey to reverse a decade and a half of austerity and decline under the Conservatives, and build stronger communities. Backed by a £5bn boost for local services in England over the next three years to correct historic imbalances and level the playing field, delivering national renewal for the long term. The funding injection is aimed at restoring pride and opportunity in places that have been left behind, to get back what has been lost.
Satvir Kaur, MP for Southampton Test, said: “Labour is putting money back into our local services. We’re seeing an increase to the council’s funding of 32%, eight times more than the previous Conservative increase. This cash injection for our area will make a real difference to people’s everyday lives by boosting the services we all rely on. As the former Leader of Southampton City Council, I saw firsthand how the Conservative government pushed us to the brink. Southampton Council lost more than half a billion pounds of government funding since 2010. I’m proud that Labour is delivering for Southampton residents.”
Councils will have more resources available to bring back libraries, youth services, clean streets, and community hubs. The money is part of the first multi-year funding settlement in over a decade, giving councils three years of financial certainty so they can plan ahead rather than firefight year to year. And in a turning point for the way local government is funded, the outdated system that saw some councils build up savings while others faced financial collapse has been replaced. Instead, places are now being funded using an evidence-based system that properly recognises local circumstances and the true costs of providing services in deprived communities.
Labour Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed said: “This is a turning point, a chance to turn the page on a decade of cuts and callousness, and for local leaders to invest in getting back what has been lost – to bring back libraries, youth services, clean streets, and community hubs.
“For too long, deprived communities were left behind. Today we’re ending the postcode lottery so everyone can access the services their community deserves.”