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Local councillors along with MPs challenge government on unfair funding for Sutton
January 8, 2008 12:00 AM
A delegation of Sutton Borough councillors, along with local MPs Paul Burstow and Tom Brake, recently met with local government ministers to see if they could work out some fairer funding for the borough.
Under the current system, Sutton tenants and residents suffer from some of the worst home standards and highest rents because they have to pay so much back to help those councils which are deemed worse off.
Sutton also receives less that most other London boroughs despite having a higher than average population of elderly residents and higher numbers of those with mental illnesses.
Leader of Sutton Borough Council Sean Brennan said:
"Councils across London, of every political colour, have told Ministers in person, what a poor deal the capital has been given, with London Councils' Conservative Chairman agreeing that the settlement represents "a devastating announcement for London boroughs.
"We have told the Government, Sutton residents deserve a better, fairer deal - its time they listened."
Commenting on the meeting, Tom Brake said:
"This is nothing more than daylight robbery. There is no possible justification for Sutton's tenants being forced to hand over more than a third of their rent to central Government. This money should be spent on improving Council properties here, not in some Borough hundreds of miles away."
Paul Burstow added added:
"The way the Government hands out taxpayers money to local councils is unfair and unfathomable. Why is it that Sutton only gets a 2% increase in grant from the Government when Redbridge, a very similar outer London borough, gets a 5.2% increase?
"Its time the Government gave Sutton's hard pressed council tax payers the fair deal."
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