North Wales Assembly Member and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government, Mark Isherwood, has spoken in the Assembly Chamber this week of his support for Flintshire County Council’s campaign to get a fair share of national funds from the Labour-led Welsh Government.
Closing Tuesday’s Welsh Conservative Debate on Local Authorities, Mr Isherwood referred to the unfair funding formula for local authorities, spoke of his support for Flintshire Council’s #BackTheAsk campaign, and welcomed the fact that “disadvantaged councils are now standing up to the bullies in Labour in Cardiff”.
He said
“All we got from Cabinet Secretary ‘Mr Bumble’ in this debate was the usual economic illiteracy, buck-passing and political chicanery. Of course, he referred to the impact on the economy if Labour votes down the Brexit deal negotiated between the UK Government and all 27 members of the EU. Currently, for every £1 spent by the UK Conservative Government on devolved matters, £1.20 is given to Wales. But, Welsh council tax payers are bearing the brunt of poor Welsh Government decisions over almost two decades.
“The Cabinet Secretary again compared funding between England and Wales, claiming that Councils there are worse off. But, local government funding policy has diverged significantly since devolution: for example, direct funding for schools in England, not Wales, and business rates retention there, not here. It's impossible to make the percentage comparisons that he keeps making.
“We also know that there is an overly bureaucratic, complex and outdated funding formula that is resulting in skewed local government finances. Therefore, on that note, I will finish by quoting a Labour-led County Council in Wales, because last week, Labour-led Flintshire County Council, launched its #BackTheAsk campaign in full Council and received the unanimous support of all Councillors of all Parties to “take the fight down to the Local Government Department in Cardiff to get a fair share of national funds”.
“I'm delighted to show my support for them and I'm grateful that people who live in the county of Flintshire, and of Wrexham and the other disadvantaged Councils, are now standing up to the bullies in Labour, in Cardiff, who will not listen, who have ceased to be accountable and who should go once and for all.”
In the Debate Welsh Conservatives stated that the Welsh Government's 17-year-old funding formula is no longer fit for purpose, referred to the letter signed by all Local Government Leaders which warned that cuts to preventative services would be a false economy, and to the suspicions that the Cabinet Secretary is using underhand tactics to force Council mergers.
They warned that Local Authorities were close to not being able to run services safely, and stated that the Welsh Government can't continue to use austerity as an excuse.
