Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton
Deprivation should be the cornerstone of council funding
The Fair Funding Review presents a huge opportunity to get ‘levelling up’ back on track, says Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton.
Rampant inflation will impact poorest most
Chair of the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities, Sir Stephen Houghton, says unless emergency support is provided to councils this financial year local authorities face a chilling return to austerity.
Government must back up claim that UKSPF provides real terms match
If the Government is sure the UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides a real terms match for every LEP area, then they should release the comparative data that backs up their argument, says Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton.
How ‘levelling up’ got left out of the Spring Statement
The chancellor mentioned the ‘levelling up’ agenda just once in his Spring Statement. Without serious financial backing, the missions in the White Paper are at risk of remaining unfulfilled, says chair of SIGOMA Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton.
Government must support councils on the COVID frontline
If the financial pressure for councils due to COVID is continuing then government support must follow – including the continuation of the Contain Outbreak Management Fund, says Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton of SIGOMA.