Sunderland council leader says the Government will be 'failing our communities' unless it funds the city's battle against Covid-19

In a letter seen by the Sunderland Echo, dated Friday, April 17, council chief Graeme Miller has called on the government to ‘honour its financial commitments’ and help the city during the current crisis.

The leader says he has ‘deep concerns’ about the lack of funding and support for local authorities as they respond to the pandemic.

In the impassioned letter he says the govenment will be ‘failing our communities’, ‘failing our front-line staff’ and ‘failing the country’ if it does not provide the support needed.

Coun Miller estimates that the council could face losses of up to £20 million between March 2020-March 2021, with a reduction of £10 million in council tax and business rates and income from car parks and leisure centres stopped overnight.

He also believes that cuts to social care and crisis services and job losses are inevitable if the council does not receive the extra funding it needs.

He says the council will no longer be able to offer a safety net for vulnerable children and families, provide support for business and community organistions and keep residents healthy and safe.

The government has already committed £10.6m to help deliver the local response to the crisis, but Coun Miller estimates the pressures will be ‘around two and a half times’ this amount.

Read the letter to Boris Johnson in full

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick is said to have talked of ‘burden sharing’ during a call with some council leaders earlier this week, with Coun Miller says worries him ‘intensely’.

He wrote: “Without extra funding, we simply cannot deliver the services we need to. We will not be able to provide emergency food and money to local families facing extreme poverty. We will be forced to make reductions in social care services, reducing support to the most vulnerable in society, as well as job losses amongst our heroic care workers. There will be a slowing down of patients leaving hospital, with unthinkable consequences for our NHS. We will not be able to support our businesses and community organisations. We will not be able to provide safety nets for our vulnerable children. We will not be able to keep our residents healthy and active, living in safe and pleasant communities.

The leader also made reference to the Nightingale North East hospital, which is currently being developed at the IAMP site in Washington, arguing that Sunderland City Council has played its part.

He added: “We now need the Government to play its part and honour its financial commitments. Let me be clear. If you don’t, you will be failing our communities at a time when they need us most. You will be failing our front-line staff, who selflessly put themselves in harms way. You will be failing the country.”

But the move has been slammed by the council’s Conservatives for ‘playing politics during a national emergency’.

Councillor Dominic McDonough said: "Sunderland City Council has over £10 million sitting in reserves for emergencies such as these. We should be using that money rather than letting it sit there. The leader of the council has used a national emergency to play politics and rushed to the press with a "private" letter supposedly for the Prime Minister.

“At a time like this we should be coming together and working with each other rather than making cheap political shots."

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