Councillor gets conference backing for fair funding for Leicestershire fight

Leicestershire County Councillor Michael Mullaney got a party conference to back his campaign for fairer funding for local government.

At present Leicestershire is the worst funded County Council in England. County Councillor Michael Mullaney took this up at the East Midlands Liberal Democrat Conference and got the party conference to back his call for fairer funding.

Michael Mullaney said "It's incredibly important for people in Leicestershire that we get fairer funding for our area. Because the government funds our area so badly it means each year we are seeing big rises in Council Tax, whilst at the same time seeing vital services cut.

"The recent Conservative run Leicestershire County Council budget saw Leicestershire residents hit by an inflation-busting 5.99% Council Tax rise, whilst important services such as 24 Leicestershire Childrens Centres face closure.

"To stop this annual round of service cuts and Tax rises we need fair funding for Leicestershire. I'm delighted East Midlands Lib Dems backed my call for fair funding. In the meantime it's time our Conservative MPs and County Council leaders got their Conservative government to start delivering fairer funding for Leicestershire".

The full text of the motion passed at the conference was

Policy Motion: Reforming the national funding formula

Proposer:​ Michael Mullaney (Bosworth)

Conference notes that:
1. The national funding formula that determines the level of funding that each area receives for local services was created in the 1970s and has not been properly re-assessed since.
2. The formula has lost its link with need, being extremely generous to some of the Country's richest areas, while neglecting some of the Country's poorest.
3. Areas in the UK that disadvantaged by the current formula were more likely to vote in favour of Brexit.
4. By the Government's own measurements of "Core Spending per Head", four out of the lowest six Counties are in the East Midlands;
5. The East Midlands also does badly on allocations of Capital Funding.

Conference believes that:
1. The current funding formula does not fit in with the Liberal Democrat values of fairness.
2. To heal the divides of Brexit, left behind areas need to feel that the Government cares about them.

Conference calls for:
1. The current funding formula to be reviewed and replaced by one that is fairer and better reflects need
2. The Liberal Democrat Party to adopt this as a policy in its next General Election manifesto.