I welcome the news that Buckinghamshire Council will benefit from a 14.7% core funding increase over the course of this Parliament, as part of the Government’s local government finance settlement.
Local government bore the brunt of spending cuts in the 2010s, leaving residents struggling to access essential services. This settlement begins to reverse that damage in Wycombe. It gives councils stability and the ability to plan for the future – something they’ve been denied for far too long.
The settlement is a major step towards improving fairness and tackling inequality across the country. Labour is ensuring that local councils have the resources they need and can target support where it matters most, while empowering local leaders to deliver for their communities. The approach is fair, evidence-based, and accounts for deprivation and need, while recognising the high cost of delivering services in the South and rural areas.
This is a multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement, the first in a decade, giving councils certainty to plan ahead – rather than having to wait to see what next year’s funding announcement will bring. It consolidates funding streams into a clearer and simpler system. And it ends the competitive bidding process for different funding streams, freeing councils to focus on local priorities and get on with the job of supporting local communities.
This announcement marks a clear break from previous Conservative administrations, when local authority core spending power fell 9% in real terms and 18% lower in real terms per-person between 2010-2011 and 2023-24, with devastating consequences for social care, libraries, road maintenance, and homelessness services.
For months, Conservative councillors warned that the local government finance settlement would leave Buckinghamshire “£42 million worse off” and among the biggest losers in the country. Today’s announcement proves those claims wrong. Instead, the new settlement ensures additional funding to strengthen vital local services, including adult and children’s social care, road maintenance, and homelessness support.
This funding settlement builds on funding already announced by this Labour Government to benefit residents of Buckinghamshire. In the last year, the Government has announced:
- a £35.8 million cash boost for Thames Valley Police
- an additional £5 million for pothole repairs
- a £7.2 million investment in employment support
It also builds on national funding increases, including an extra £1 billion for SEND support, £1.57 billion for new hospital equipment, and £500 million to deliver more affordable homes.