‘Councils to go bust without aid’ says MP Richard Drax (From Dorset Echo)

‘Councils to go bust without aid’ says MP Richard Drax

2:00pm Friday 15th February 2013 in News

SOUTH Dorset MP Richard Drax is calling for fairer funding for Dorset councils ‘before they go broke’.

Mr Drax said he supports local councils in their fight for fairer local government funding.

He has spoken out after a debate in parliament on the rural funding settlement.

He said: “Weymouth and Portland will be pushed into negative trading within two years and be broke within five and that’s not an empty threat. Already, west Somerset and five or six other councils have gone bust.

“Far from being rich, greedy revenue collectors, stashing our money away in reserves, our councillors are fighting an uphill battle to stay solvent and to pay for all the services we need.

“They particularly object, and I agree with them, to being accused of being immoral by the minister for wanting to raise council tax when they have no other option.”

Mr Drax said that this year the average amount awarded per head in town and cities in England is more than double that in rural areas such as Purbeck and West Dorset.

He said that while this year the average amount awarded per head in towns and cities in England is £487, in Purbeck which is 84 per cent rural it is £215 and in West Dorset, 94 per cent rural, it is £230.