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Bristol city council passed a Green motion on Tuesday evening committing them to write to the new Labour government asking for a sustained uplift to local authority funding to cover shortfalls in adult social care, education and other key services.
The motion was voted through by Councillors from the Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat Groups, with only the Conservatives voting against. An amendment from the Labour Group was also voted down.
Cllr Bryher, who put forward the motion with Cllr Francis and Cllr Stone, said, “Whilst I congratulate Labour on their electoral success, I hope that this motion offers a constructive challenge to their national economic plans.
“This Green-led council needs to push the new government to go further than their stated manifesto commitments, which will not sufficiently deliver the improved public services we so desperately need in Bristol.
“We cannot overstate the scale of the challenge that faces local authorities as a result of fourteen years of austerity measures.”
The motion notes that Government grants to local authorities were cut by 40% in real terms between 2009/10 and 2019/20, from £46.5bn to £28.0bn. [1]
At the same time, there has been a huge surge in demand for vital services provided by local authorities, such as adult social care, which takes up about three-quarters of local authority budgets. [2]
Spending on social care grew by an average of 2.6% a year in real terms between 2014/15 and 2021/22. However, the Health Foundation has estimated that a 3.4% a year increase in spending will be needed between 2024/25 and 2032/33 to meet future demand. This is equal to £8.3 billion overall and leaves a large shortfall in funding. [3]
Cllr Francis, who is the Chair of the Adult Social Care Committee said, “Adult social care, alongside children’s services, is one of the areas that austerity measures have hurt the most, and demand is only increasing.
“An uplift in financing from the central government is the only way that increased demand will be met while maintaining acceptable standards of care across the city.”
As well as increased funding, the Greens also call on the council to implement the Ethical Care Charter to the best of its ability and continue the adult social care transformation project to ensure the council is providing the best care and value to all Bristol residents.
Cllr Stone said, “Bristol City Council signed up for the Ethical care Charter in 2021. It is essential that we as a council are implementing it to the best of our ability to improve working conditions for care workers and therefore the care that is provided to residents.”
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