The amount paid to Suffolk councils by central government has more than halved since Conservative-led governments took power in 2010 according to new figures from the Labour Party.
According to figures Labour has obtained from the National Archives in 2010 Suffolk’s councils received £262 million a year in government funding for local services – the equivalent of £383 million in today’s prices. This year Suffolk is receiving £128 million, a cut of 51.4% or 66.7% in real-terms.
Suffolk County Council Conservative leader Matthew Hicks said the incoming government in 2010 had very serious financial problems to deal with.
Jack Abbott, Labour candidate for Ipswich, said: “Under the Conservatives, Suffolk has taken a battering. Low growth, stagnant wages, high prices and failing public services have been the story of the last 13 years.
“Yet, still, the Conservative Party refuses to give Suffolk a fair deal. Our analysis reveals the staggering successive cuts that have been inflicted on the county.
“We have seen the devastating impact of the cuts: our once proud network of children’s centres has been hollowed out.
"There are now half as many health visitors as there were in 2019. The erosion of public transport subsidies and a botched remodelling of the school transport system have hit rural communities hard."
Mr Hicks said: “This is typically sensationalist language from the Labour candidate for Ipswich. When Labour left office in 2010, their outgoing Chief Secretary to the Treasury literally left a note saying ‘I’m afraid there is no money left’.
"The reductions in public spending that followed were difficult but necessary to bring public spending under control after it had spiralled under Labour.
"Last year we were able to put an extra £34 million into adult care and an extra £13 million into children’s services.
"By 2026 we will have spent £55 million delivering over 1,300 new SEND school places, we’re putting an extra £10 million into resurfacing residential roads on top of £20 million we’re spending improving pavements and addressing highways flooding.
"We continue to lobby government over the very specific pressures we’re facing at the moment, in particular around adult care, children in care, and special educational needs school transport.”
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