An extra £116 million of funding for Lincolnshire. A realistic outcome of the campaign or just something to put in big letters on the side of a red bus?

The County Council has launched a campaign for fairer funding of local government in Lincolnshire by central government.

This comes within a context of significant reductions in the funding our local authorities receive direct from central government and restrictions on increasing council tax which means it is not possible to maintain current spending levels.

Unfortunately, the County Council is providing very little clarity on actually where the current funding formula is unfair. The rural nature of Lincolnshire, which for example means we have one of the largest highways networks in the country to maintain, being the only explanation I’ve seen offered.

Instead, it is frequently being highlighted that Lincolnshire receives significantly less funding that the average for English councils. Yet it isn’t enough to point this out to actually demonstrate that the system is unfair. There are complex variations in need across the country and it is perfectly reasonable therefore to expect that some areas may receive more than others.

Fairness does not simply mean everyone getting the same as the County Council seem to be arguing.

I also have significant doubts as to how realistic it would be for any changes to the funding formula to result in the extra £116 million that is being trumpeted. The idea that Lincolnshire would go from being an area with a relatively low level of funding to receiving the average is not plausible.

This has been discussed now twice by the Town Council and I’m pleased that we have declined to sign up to support this campaign. The County Council need instead to be more strongly calling simply for greater funding but the Tory dominated County Council will not want to upset their colleagues in Government.

We do need greater funding in Lincolnshire but I will not shy away from saying what really needs to happen. The Government need to reverse their enormous cuts to the funding local authorities receive. All local authorities.

I support efforts to increase the fairness in the distribution of this funding but I want a system that is fair for everyone. Simply measuring the fairness by comparing Lincolnshire’s funding level to elsewhere is not enough.