Workington MP Mark Jenkinson calls on new authority to cut council tax

In April 2023, Cumberland will be the only council for residents in the current Allerdale, Copeland and Carlisle districts.

Mark Jenkinson MP has launched a campaign encouraging the unitary authority to pass on the savings delivered as part of local government reform and to protect frontline services.

In recent years, local authority funding from the Conservative Government has been much higher than budgeted for, which allowed Cumbria County Council to bank nearly £10m while increasing council tax by the same amount.

Mark Jenkinson said: “As part of this investment, roads budgets have increased but we're not seeing the benefit here in Cumberland, with the bulk going to Labour and Liberal Democrat boroughs in South Cumbria.

“Meanwhile, the Government continues to help vulnerable families with schemes delivered through councils such as the Household Support Fund.

“If the new authority is serious about helping those who are struggling, they should cut council tax. This is within their gift, and such a move would complement the central Government schemes launched to help people manage the cost of living.

“From day one we should see the buck-passing stop, we should see much-reduced duplication and we should immediately start to see the financial benefits of streamlining local government.”

Mark’s campaign to help hard-working families whilst protecting frontline services follows what he has described as a “failure in leadership” within Cumbria County Council – an organisation which will formally cease to exist in April.

Cumbria County Council’s Children’s Services has been deemed as “requiring improvement” or “inadequate” in every inspection under Labour leadership since 2013.

In contrast, Mark added that they were described as “performing well” under Conservative leadership.

 “Services are deliberately under-budgeted by the current Labour council every year. It’s failing children and it’s failing parents,” he added.

“We have a huge opportunity to reset - and recent sad news should mean it’s at the top of the list.

“We must level down council tax, and we must not allow Labour to level down our services, our opportunities or our aspirations.”

The Allerdale district now has the lowest council tax in Cumbria thanks to the Conservative administration.