We want members to urgently email the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, and call on him to use the local government finance settlement – likely to be this Thursday – to stop the cuts and fund local government adequately, so that councils can fund the LGA’s offer and protect jobs and services. The £632 million cost of the pay rise to councils is small in the context of overall public sector finance. Half of this would be recouped by central government in increased taxes, National Insurance and saving on in-work benefits. This could be recycled to local government.
A model email is attached to this bulletin. While some councils have eaten into their unallocated reserves, others have healthy amounts in the bank and can draw on them on a one-off basis to fund a decent pay rise.