Mark Jenkinson MP has called for a parliamentary debate on the cost of Labour councils.
The move comes after the new Cumberland Council had “abused a loophole” to impose what he described as a “devastating” 6.7% increase on his constituents in the Allerdale borough.
He told the Leader of the House, the Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, that the two new unitary councils – Cumberland and Furness and Westmorland – had made no effort to balance the books.
Rather, they already asked to permission to borrow £66 million, £40m in Cumberland alone, even before they take over in April.
Mr Jenkinson also reiterated his calls for the new councils to get round the table and agree a devolution deal for Cumbria.
So far, the leaders of both councils have refused to begin immediate talks with the Government.
I supported the successful bid for new unitary authorities in Cumbria, which highlighted eminently achievable savings of 11 per cent, or about £30 million, in Cumberland.
All seven predecessor councils were able to set balanced budgets, but neither of the new councils has shown any intention of realising those savings, and both have already come cap in hand to the Government asking permission to borrow to fill eye-watering budget gaps before they have even taken control—to the tune of £40 million in Cumberland.
On top of that, the new Labour-led Cumberland Council has abused a loophole to impose a devastating 6.7 per cent council tax increase on my constituents.
Mark Jenkinson MP
Penny Mordaunt indicated that this was a familiar trend, adding that under 23 years of the previous Labour Government council tax increased by 110 per cent.
Meanwhile, over the same timeframe under Conservative Government, it had risen by just 36 per cent, she said.
She described the situation in Cumbria as “shameful” and described it as “deeply disappointing” that the new unitary authorities should take such an attitude to taxpayers.
