Spending Review - short-changed and short-sighted

Responding to the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review, announced on Wednesday, the Leader of Sutton Council, Councillor Ruth Dombey, said:

“Sutton Council staff have worked tirelessly with colleagues in the voluntary sector and statutory partners to support our community during the COVID pandemic. 

“The pandemic has put a strain on everyone and we had hoped that the government would provide support for the Council and the community.

“While there was some short-term additional money for local government, we are disappointed that we still do not have the certainty we need to plan for our local recovery.

“We are also disappointed at the failure to address the long-term challenge of sustainable funding for adult social care. The financial responsibility for social care has once again been shifted onto local taxpayers and councils have been given “permission” to raise council tax to fund this essential service. Worse still, the chancellor has failed to understand the importance of supporting all carers, refusing those providing social care the same cost of living pay rise that he has guaranteed to health workers. There is no recognition of the vital work that social workers do every day to support vulnerable residents, help them to stay healthy and independent and reduce the need for hospital treatment and residential care.”

Councillor Ruth Dombey continued

“Sutton councillors will have to balance funding services for our most vulnerable against the economic pressures on all our community. I can promise that we will take that responsibility seriously and use the funding that we have to support our local economic recovery so that Sutton remains a great place to live, work and raise a family. 

“We will continue to support our staff and all the frontline workers who have supported our communities working in our homes, our schools, and who have kept our streets safe, and who are not valued by the government.”