On Thursday this week, Andrew Rosindell M.P. called on the Leader of the House, The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt M.P., to allocate time to debate local government funding and a reform of local London governance.
Reporting back on social media today, Andrew stated the following:
This week, I called for a fairer funding settlement from central government for boroughs like Havering, at Business Questions in @HouseofCommons which is desperately needed to avoid the prospect of bankruptcy. The status quo is simply not good enough. Havering deserves better! Radical reform of so called ‘Greater London’ is also vitally important. Havering is being bled dry by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan! The people of Romford are tired of the costs he imposes. As a traditional part of Essex, Havering should assert its independence from ‘City Hall’!
Havering Council is suffering the consequences of low funding support and unfair funding allocation from City Hall.
For a full transcript of the contribution can be found below:
The Leader of the House will be aware that I represent Romford in the London Borough of Havering, a historical Essex market town. Will she please arrange for a debate to take place on the Floor of the House about the fairness of local government funding? My borough is nearing bankruptcy because of the failure to have a fair funding system. We are also fleeced by the Mayor of London, who takes huge sums of money from places like Havering to fund the Greater London Authority. Can we have a debate about reform to local government in Greater London, and fairer funding for boroughs such as Havering—and hopefully a referendum, so that we can go back to being fully part of Essex?
Andrew Rosindell M.P.
I welcome my hon. Friend back to his place. He is quite right to raise the matter of pressures on his council, particularly those born of the actions of the Mayor of London, whose budget is in crisis. Local government has had about a 7% uplift across the board, but London boroughs clearly face local issues and particular pressures because of the Mayor’s mismanagement. My hon. Friend will know that the next questions to the relevant Secretary of State are on 4 March.
The Rt Hon. Penny Mordaunt M.P., Leader of the House of Commons, Lord President of the Council
The Leader of the House has since written to The Rt Hon. Michael Gove M.P., Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities to bring this to his attention. You will see the letter attached below.
