Richmond Lib Dems meet Minister to lobby for fair funding

6.00.00pm GMT Tue 8th Jan 2008

Vincent Cable MP, Cllr Stephen Knight, Sussan Kramer MP and Cllr Serge Lourie visit the Department for Communities and Local Government to lobby the Minister for fair funding for Richmond.

Following the announcement of another real-term cut in government funding for local services in Richmond upon Thames, Lib Dem Council Leaders and the borough's two MPs have been to see the Minister to demand a fairer deal.

Leader Serge Lourie, and Deputy Leader Stephen Knight were joined by the borough's two MPs Vince Cable and Susan Kramer on Monday at a meeting with the local government Minister John Healey MP.

Cllr Stephen Knight said:

"We wanted to go and see the Minister personally to explain just how badly funded Richmond is. Local people have to fund over 81% of the cost of local services from Council Tax with just 19% funded by the government. This is the lowest funding level in the country, with most councils getting the majority of their money from government.

"We are one of the lowest spending, most efficient, councils in the country, but because we are massively under funded by government, local people have to pay one of the highest Council Taxes in the country and we think that's deeply unfair."