Andrew Gwynne MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, responding to today’s votes on the establishment of two unitary councils that will replace Northamptonshire County Council, said:

“These proposals for new councils are simply a sticking plaster. Any new unitary councils established without government assistance will be doomed to fail from the start. Changing lines on a map will not resolve the deep-seated problems facing local government across the country.

“The existing councils are being asked to foot the bill for the costs of this restructuring, spending millions on this change at the same time as cutting front-line public services. The people of Northamptonshire are being punished for the Tories’ failed programme of austerity.

“Ministers have refused to provide additional resources to councils that have seen their budgets stretched to breaking point. We urgently need sustainable funding for our local services – our councils cannot be allowed to collapse.”