County areas should not be ignored during general election, council leaders warn in cross-party statement

CCN Latest News, CCN News 2019 | 05 November 2019

Leaders of England’s largest councils today warn that county areas cannot be ignored during the general election, with the issues facing  25 million residents living in the shires – half of England’s population –  crucial to each of the political parties’ fortunes in December.

The Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat vice-chairs of the County Councils Network, which represents 36 county local authorities, have signed a joint statement arguing that ‘it is essential’ that all political parties engage in the issues facing county authorities.

The County Councils Network, which represents 36 county local authorities, argues that the issues facing those communities must be addressed during the campaign – from the funding of local public services, to the future of adult social care, to addressing unaffordable house prices.

CCN’s director Simon Edwards has written an editorial in today’s Times newspaper arguing these points, which you can read here.

The leaders of the network have called for more funding for council services, alongside a fairer funding for county areas, and for the next government to offer devolution deals to rural areas alongside urban locations.

“We need to see all political parties commit to introducing sustainable funding for councils but also, crucially, fairer funding for our county and rural areas”, the statement reads.

“In return, we can offer whoever takes power, a ready and willing partner to help solve some of the most pressing domestic issues they face; from health, to regional growth, to climate change” they say.

The statement was signed by Cllr Nick Rushton, Conservative leader of Leicestershire County Council, Cllr Simon Henig, Labour leader of Durham County Council, and Cllr Jerry Roodhouse, Liberal Democrat councillor on Warwickshire County Council, alongside the network’s chairman, Cllr David Williams, Conservative leader of Hertfordshire County Council.

Read it in full below.