Councillor hits out over unfair funding for the county

AT the recent Annual General Meeting of Leicestershire County Council the Leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition Councillor Michael Mullaney raised again the continued unfair funding of Leicestershire.

Michael Mullaney said: “Leicestershire is the worst funded county in the country by the Conservative government. People see this in the reduction of vital local services. An example being the recent scrapping of the 159 bus service that served Hinckley, Coalville and many villages. And now plans that could see a further 26 bus services in Leicestershire axed by the County Council.

“Back in 2018 the Conservative Leader of Leicestershire County Council told the council that a junior Local government Minister called Rishi Sunak was sympathetic to Leicestershire’s cause for fair funding.

“Well the reality is that Rishi Sunak failed to deliver fair funding for Leicestershire when he was local government minister. Rishi Sunak failed to deliver fair funding for Leicestershire when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer in charge of the nation’s finances. And now he’s manoeuvred himself to be the latest in the line of Tory Prime Ministers, he’s failed to deliver fair funding for Leicestershire as Prime Minister.

“The Conservatives and Rishi Sunak take Leicestershire for granted. It’s the residents who pay for this through higher taxes and poor services. It’s time for the Conservative government to stop taking Leicestershire for granted and deliver the fair funding and quality public services people here in Leicestershire deserve.”