{"id":30700,"date":"2021-07-27T16:07:19","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T15:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=30700"},"modified":"2021-07-26T18:09:31","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T17:09:31","slug":"covid-leaves-uk-councils-with-3bn-financial-black-hole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=30700","title":{"rendered":"Covid leaves UK councils with \u00a33bn financial black hole"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>UK councils face a \u00a33bn black hole in their budgets as they emerge from the pandemic, a BBC investigation into their finances can reveal.<\/h3>\n

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\u2026 struggling to carry out statutory duties and \u2026. at risk of bankruptcy\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

BBC News writes:<\/p>\n

Some local authorities were struggling to carry out statutory duties and were at risk of bankruptcy, a local government expert said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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And 10 councils have asked to borrow \u00a3300m of emergency money from the government to plug financial holes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The government says it has handed councils \u00a312bn during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said: “In the coming months, we will take stock of the demands faced by councils and the resources available to meet them and will decide on the timetable for future funding?reform.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The spokesman claimed there were a small number of councils that were “in severe financial distress such as Croydon and Slough due to poor leadership and chronic financial mismanagement, long predating the pandemic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“These councils have badly let down their residents.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Analysing 170 upper-tier and single tier councils in the UK the BBC Shared Data Unit found:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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