This was a motion moved by Labour Campaign for Council Housing supporter councillor Pavlos Kotsonis at Nottingham City Council. The resolution was passed with the support of the Labour group and three independent councillors.
“Councils across the country face critical financial challenges and further cuts to jobs and services. £16billion has been slashed from central government grants and councils are now facing the unprecedented costs of responding to the Covid crisis.
In Nottingham £101million every year has been cut from our main source of government funding since 2013. The Council will need to bear £78.4million of additional costs and lost income due to COVID. Despite promises from Government to fully fund all the costs of COVID and to stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with councils and ‘do what it takes’, Nottingham is likely to receive only £39.8million in COVID funding leaving a gap of £38.6million.
10 years of government austerity hurts the most vulnerable members of our community and now threatens frontline services and our key workers that have helped people in Nottingham throughout the crisis.
Nottingham City Council therefore resolves to:
1. campaign alongside other councils to lobby the Government to keep its promise to Nottingham and key workers to fully fund all COVID 19 costs;
2. jointly campaign for a fair funding system for local authorities based around deprivation levels and local need;
3. jointly campaign with other councils to push the Government to cancel non-commercial Public Works Loan Board debt;
4. ask the Government to reduce the interest rate and allow a Covid payment holiday on Public Works Loan Board debt;
5. build a joint campaign with MPs, other councils, trade unions and local communities.”
Cancel local authority debt 