Council cannot survive without more cash - leader

A council will not survive unless it gets a fairer deal from government, the leader of the local authority said.

Liberal Democrat Heather Kidd said four out of every five pounds at Shropshire Council was being spent on social care.

The government said more money was being put towards adult social care over the next four years.

A government-commissioned review into funding of the sector is due to report back in 2028 but Kidd said the county could not wait that long.

"We're now reaching a point where it is very difficult to actually make ends meet," she said.

The government spokesperson said its review would publish its first recommendations next year "for a national care service that is fair and affordable for all".

They said the aim of the independent review was "to start a national conversation and build cross-party consensus on reform".

"The chancellor has announced an increase of over £4bn for adult social care by 2028-29," they added.

About half of Shropshire's residents are over 50 years old, according to the most recent census.

"Rural counties, particularly ours, have been significantly underfunded for a very long time," Kidd said.

"People move here and, 15 years later, they need social care."

She added that it was also more expensive to deliver adult social care in rural areas compared with urban, because of the travel involved, which demands more time and fuel.

The Liberal Democrats took control of Shropshire Council for the first time in May's elections and the new leader said she would lobby the government for more social care funding.

Kidd's comments followed criticism from Shropshire Lib Dem MP Helen Morgan, who said Rachel Reeves' Spending Review on Wednesday was focused almost entirely on urban areas and target seats for Labour.

"Trailblazer" regeneration funding worth up to £20m each was announced by the chancellor for 25 areas including parts of Stoke-on-Trent, Maidstone, Stockport and Swindon.

"People in Shropshire were failed by the Conservatives and now they are being let down by Labour," Morgan said.

"The spending review included nothing for Shropshire, nothing for rural areas and no serious plan to fix social care."

However, Shrewsbury's Labour MP Julia Buckley said the Spending Review would benefit the area.

"The budget for farming is increasing to £2.7bn a year for the sustainable farming initiative," she said.

"Then for transport, there'll be an increase in the Local Transport Grant that goes to local authorities to help them with cycle lanes, buses and also reducing congestion - something we really care about in Shrewsbury."

This news was partly gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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