Responding to the letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to council leaders calling for local authorities to prepare for a no deal Brexit, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Local Government Wera Hobhouse said:
“Asking cash-strapped councils to prepare for a no deal when it is in the Government’s gift to rule it out is nothing short of an insult to local services.
“With local government being eroded at every opportunity and councils struggling to even run just the most basic services, to add this burden for no reason other than to scaremonger support for the Prime Minister’s already defeated deal is utterly shameful.
“The only way out of this chaos is to give the public a final say, with the option to remain in the EU.”
Cllr Ruth Dombey, Deputy Leader of the LGA Liberal Democrat Group and Leader of Sutton Council, added:
“There are no words to describe how it felt to receive this letter. Local government is being disregarded and facing funding cut after funding cut. Adult social care is facing a £3.6 billion funding gap by 2025, yet the Conservative Government have yet again delayed the publication of the Social Care Green Paper to outline how this vital service can be funded. The Tories are wasting the public’s time and money navel-gazing and it is having a damaging effect on our communities.”
ENDS
Notes to editors: