Autumn Statement 2022: "Tough decisions ahead" for Kirklees Council

Leader of Kirklees Council, Coun Shabir Pandor, has responded to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement which set out the government’s tax and spending plans over the coming years and has said there are “tough decisions ahead.”

This comes at a time when Kirklees Council grapples with major financial difficulties of its own as a result of the national economic crisis. Increased energy costs, inflation and demands on services have led to a £34.3M overspend for the authority in the current financial year. However, added costs are set to leave the council up to £60M in the red from April next year.

Measures such as using reserve funding, freezing recruitment of non-essential services and mothballing certain council buildings are being implemented by the council to address the financial difficulties it currently faces.

Coun Pandor said: “The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement paints a grim picture for public services across the country. Given the levels of inflation in the economy, funding for councils faces a major squeeze over the next couple of years.

“We need to work through all the details but the overall picture for Kirklees is clear. There won’t be enough support to deal with the extraordinary increases in costs we are all facing. Instead, the statement encourages councils to cut services and increase both council tax and the social care precept.

“We will know more next month when the government announces funding for individual councils. We are asking for Kirklees to get a fair share of resources that is realistic about our circumstances and reflects the state of the economy.

“We’re already taking action to reduce spending while protecting frontline services as much as we can. And we are determined to maintain our ambition for Kirklees to bring in investment and protect ourselves against future cost of living crises. But this statement leaves us with a tough financial outlook.

“Before the Autumn Statement, we were told to expect cuts to public services or tax rises. The government is giving us both.”