Stump up money to plug crisis funding gap, Wolverhampton Council leader tells No10
The Government should “keep to their word” and hand extra funding to councils impacted by coronavirus, the leader of Wolverhampton Council has said.
Councillor Ian Brookfield called on Whitehall to cover the funding gap caused by the pandemic in a motion set to be discussed by councillors in the city.
The motion, set to be proposed at a full council meeting on Wednesday, also calls on Government chiefs to hand councils extra power to stop a second virus wave.
Councillor Brookfield said: “Covid-19 in the city has taken its toll both in personal and financial losses, and we urge the Government to keep to their word and commit to extra funding to cover the funding gap caused by the pandemic.
“They must ensure that local councils have everything they need to overcome this crisis.
“Furthermore we call on Government to trust and respect local councils and give us the powers we need to support our communities as it becomes increasingly clear that the responsibility of preventing a second wave will be through local lockdowns borne by local government.”
It comes as figures for Wolverhampton, from August 31 to September 6, put the rate for the city at 37 per 100,000 – prompting warnings from health chiefs for everyone to follow the rules and help curb the virus’ spread.
