Councils in England spending £7.8bn a year less on key services than in 2010, says TUC

• ​​​​​Local government spending down by 20% per head of the population 

• North East, North West and London have seen the biggest drops in council funding 

• Poorer parts of Britain have been hit harder, says TUC 

Councils in England are spending £7.8bn a year less on key local services than in 2010, according to a new TUC analysis published today (Monday). 

The TUC has looked at the impact of cuts on local government funding across England.  

In 2010/11, local authorities in England were spending a total of £49.3bn on key services such as social care, waste management, libraries and transport. 

But in 2018/2019 – following years of funding cuts from central government – that spending had fallen to £41.4bn.  

This works out to 20% (£135) less being spent on services per person in the region. 

The north and London the biggest losers 

The North East has seen the biggest reduction in council spending (-26%), followed by the North West (-21%) and North East (-20%). 

England’s biggest councils (those providing the most services) have been worst hit in Labour-controlled metropolitan areas: 

• Salford Council (Labour) is spending 38% (£99 million) a year less on key local services than in 2010/11. That works out to £479 a year less per person. 

• Camden Council (Labour) is spending 32% (£103 million) a year less than in 2010/11. That works out as £620 a year less per person. 

By contrast, large Conservative-controlled shire and county councils have been less affected by cuts to central government funding: 

• Surrey Council (Conservative) is spending 7% (£54 million) a year more on key local services than in 2010/11. That works out £11 a year more per person. 

• Wiltshire Council (Conservative) is spending 8% (£27 million) a year more on key local services than in 2010/11. That works out £16 a year more per person 

Poorer communities have been hit harder 

By targeting cuts on central government grants, ministers have disproportionately impacted councils in more deprived areas of Britain, says the TUC. 

Local councils today are increasingly reliant on raising income through council tax, their share of business rates and other charges and fees.  

But this is much harder for councils in more deprived areas of the country as they are less able to raise significant funding this way. 

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Ministers have slashed funding for local services across England.  

“These are services our communities really depend upon, like youth services, libraries and local transport.  

“We need a plan for healing the pain a decade of Conservative cuts have caused. That means new investment to restore council budgets back to where they were at the start of the decade.”