Doncaster deserves a fair deal, demands Mayor Ros Jones

The letter comes ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on November 22, in which he will set out the government’s spending priorities and has the opportunity to reverse the damaging Conservative cuts that have left many public services struggling to survive.

Since 2010 the government has repeatedly cut funding to councils, leaving an increasing number of councils warning that they could effectively go bankrupt in the coming months.

The cross-party Local Government Association have warned that a combination of rampant inflation, rising homelessness, and the increased cost of delivering services such

as children’s social care mean councils are facing a £4bn funding gap by March 2025.

Mayor Ros Jones said: “Doncaster deserves a fair deal. Government funding cuts have been unfairly targeted at areas like Doncaster.

"Conservative governments have cut funding to Doncaster by £106m (27 per cent) in real terms spending power since 2010, which is equivalent to a cut of £340 per resident.

“Unfunded pressures are pushing council finances to the brink. Local family finances are still recovering from the Conservative government’s disastrous decisions that crashed our economy last year. The government should take responsibility for funding local services, rather than once again forcing councils to increase council tax bills.”

“The Chancellor must use the Autumn Statement to deliver the fair deal for Doncaster that we deserve. If he cannot do that, the Conservatives should call a General Election and give the country the chance to vote in a new government that has a plan to give Doncaster its future back.”