David Simmonds

David Simmonds

Conservative — Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner

Speaking in the House of Commons on 11 February 2026

Debate

Local Government Finance

Contribution

I will make a little progress, because I know that Madam Deputy Speaker will want others to have time. History is repeating itself. Let us not forget that this is a statement that leaves two thirds of councils in England worse off, from the analysis that has been done by the Local Government Association. That piles additional costs on top of things such as last year’s national insurance contributions rise, which left councils £1.5 billion net worse off. This settlement tightens ringfencing, removing the ability of local leaders to deploy homelessness funding flexibly to meet local needs, for example. It also comes at a time when this botched reorganisation of local government has created chaos across the sector, with a hokey-cokey of elections promised and then cancelled, sometimes within 24 hours, from that Dispatch Box.

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