Blyth and Ashington MP Ian Lavery told the press: “For months now Tories in the council have been scaremongering suggesting that the government were taking finances away from our county.
“Today’s Local Government settlement proves that this was always nonsense. A nonsense peddled by those who have slashed services and diverted resources from communities who needed them.
“Whilst we have a long way to go to reverse the damage done to our communities from nearly a decade and a half of Tory misrule, this is a welcome start. Northumberland has unique challenges with a blend of rurality and hardship, making delivering services expensive and complex.
“I am very happy to see deprivation put back at the heart of the funding formula and to see the council getting a significant uplift in finances from the Government. We now need a commitment that the funding we receive is properly allocated.
“The funding injection is aimed at restoring pride and opportunity in places that have been left behind, to get back what has been lost. Councils will have more resources available to bring back libraries, youth services, clean streets, and community hubs.
“With the uplift in financing driven by deprivation in South East Northumberland, and our communities having suffered most from a decade and a half of austerity we need to see a huge chunk of the additional funds spent here.”
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