MP Helen Jones and deputy leader of Warrington Borough Council Graham Friend have joined forces to slam the Government over the “staggering hypocrisy” of funding for social care.
Their comments come in the wake of claims that the local authority is approaching “a cliff edge” in social care funding.
The Warrington North MP said: “When the Coalition Government introduced their Local Government Finance Bill, I warned about the damage it would do to social care. In the years since then, Warrington has lost £100 million while richer authorities like Tory-controlled Westminster have gained.
“The result is a system in crisis with not enough money to care for our elderly and disabled citizens properly.
The result is not just delayed discharges from hospital, but more people going in to hospital in the first place.
Graham Friend
“The government could have chosen to put more money into the system. For example, it could have stopped the cuts to the bank levy and invested the money in care. Instead, it has left councils to raise money themselves – but even this will not be enough. Nor will it direct finances to areas in most need.”
Cllr Friend said: “The richest local authorities with many high value properties will raise far more from the same percentage increase in council tax than poorer councils with lower rated homes, yet those areas have more people in need of care.”
Cllr Friend said he was astonished to see Liberal Democratic leader Cllr Bob Barr and Warrington South Conservative MP David Mowat “preaching” about their parties’ commitment to social care.
He said: “It is staggering hypocrisy on both their parts. Both the Tories and Liberal Democrats voted for this system of local government finance and so they share the blame.”
Cllr Friend said in Warrington, the council continued to do an excellent job on health and social care services.
But the Government’s decisions were a direct threat to Warrington’s services.
