31 October 2024

Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Cllr Kevin Guy, shares his reactions to the Autumn Budget and its potential impact on local government.

Cllr Kevin Guy said: “Local government has had to cope with years of declining government funding. We urgently need a real funding boost to support the vital services residents rely on.

“Some of the announcements we heard from the Chancellor are a step in the right direction. It was encouraging to see increased central government funding for some key areas including fixing potholes, building more affordable housing, addressing homelessness and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

“However, we Liberal Democrats are clear that we cannot fix the NHS without addressing the crisis in social care.

“The announced £600m extra for social care is obviously welcome but represents only about 1.5% of the £38.6bn that councils across England are budgeted to spend on social care this financial year, and we lack any detail on this at the moment. The pressures we're seeing on social care are running at a much higher rate of increase, so this is essentially a sticking plaster on a gaping wound. Long-term structural reform is urgently required.

“Our party has continually called for cross-party talks on social care, and I’m pleased we will continue to hold the government to account on this.

Cllr Guy concluded: “Despite hearing some encouraging signals in the budget statement, I must underline that the intense pressure on local government finances has not diminished. In B&NES we are still likely to face some really difficult budget decisions over the coming year.

“My colleagues and I look forward to receiving further details as soon as they are published.”