Rachel Hopkins MP fights for fairer funding for Luton Council
Rachel Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton South and South Bedfordshire, has pledged to fight for Luton to get a fairer funding settlement which recognises the level of local need and can allow the council to deliver vital public services and improvements to the town.
This follows the government’s announcement of an overhaul of the current system used to allocate funding to local authorities, which will be backed by a £5 billion funding boost over three years.
New changes will mean that councils are funded more fairly, aligning funding with levels of deprivation. This will end the previous Conservative government’s broken system that led to significant regional inequality and a postcode lottery for access to vital public services.
Over the course of fourteen years of Conservative government, Luton had £170 million cut from its budget. This put tight constraints on essential council services and meant tough decisions had to be taken to balance the books.
Since being elected to Parliament in 2019, Rachel Hopkins MP has consistently highlighted the continued underfunding of councils like Luton and the detrimental impact this has on local communities. In her very first speech in the House of Commons, Rachel pledged to “champion local government” and fight for fair funding to allow councils like Luton to deliver for residents.
The Labour government has committed to strengthening and empowering local authorities as decision makers for their areas, and this multi-year funding settlement will be a vital step.
Rachel Hopkins MP has wasted no time in fighting for Luton Council to benefit from this funding review, asking the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, when local councils can expect to see fairer funding delivered and what this will mean for them.
Ms Hopkins said: “As a former Luton Labour councillor, I understand the vital importance of local government and the services it delivers within our communities.
“The previous Conservative government oversaw a local government funding system which deepened inequality across the country, leaving councils like Luton struggling to meet the demand for services.
“I welcome the announcement from our Labour government that new funding allocations will be based on deprivation data and local need, levelling the playing field and unlocking opportunity in places like Luton.
“I’ll be campaigning to ensure Luton is heard and gets the funding it deserves – so we can deliver the improvements our area needs.”