Like many local government leaders, I watched carefully the first Labour Budget in more than 14 years and the first Budget ever delivered by a woman.
Council leaders know the challenge of balancing the books and the damage we’ve witnessed by successive Budgets over many years.
There has been a £24.5 billion cut from our sector since 2010.
The challenge is enormous, but I came away seeing light at the end of the tunnel with a government that finally ‘gets it’ on the role local government has to play.
“The biggest change? A genuine offer of collaboration and co-production”
After fears there would be no new funding, it was heartening to see a £1.3 billion funding increase for local authorities to support the delivery of essential services, alongside an additional £1 billion for SEND, £650 million for local transport projects, a £500 million boost to the Affordable Homes programme, and a continuation in the vital Household Support Fund – a lifeline for so many of our residents.
The biggest change, though? A genuine offer of collaboration and co-production – with the Leaders’ Council, initiatives bringing local expertise into Whitehall, and the commitment to deliver power and resource to let us deliver.
We know what our communities need, and we have a government keen to work with us, because only by working together with positivity, creativity and ambition can we deliver the change our country so desperately needs.
