Steve Reed responds to UK councils facing £3bn black hole budgets

“Councils were already reeling from a decade of cuts to their budgets but Ministers’ broken promises to fund local authorities for the costs of the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed them towards the brink.

“Councils across England are already being forced to cut the very staff we clapped at the start of the pandemic and reduce the crucial services our communities rely on.

“The Conservatives need to keep their promise to reimburse councils fully for the cost of keeping communities safe during the pandemic."