Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to ensure key council services in areas like County Durham will continue despite funding challenges. 

The Prime Minister announced the government's plan to “clear up the mess and get councils back on their feet” and issue multi-year funding settlements after an appeal from a County Durham MP in Parliament. 

Mary Kelly Foy, Labour MP for the City of Durham, said she had been contacted by several residents who are anxious about Durham County Council’s financial situation. 

The local authority recently issued an urgent plea for extra government funding to protect front-line services. 

Around £22 million in cuts are needed for 2025/26 to help balance the budget next year and beyond. Overall, it is currently £64.1 million short over the next four years - a higher amount than previously forecast due to growing unfunded budget pressures, primarily in children’s social care and home-to-school transport.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Foy MP said: “The Tories’ unfair funding formula has hollowed out essential public services such as social care, while demand has been increasing. 

“What assurances can the Prime Minister give me that essential services will be restored and that a new funding formula will be genuinely fair, focusing on the needs of my constituents, especially the most vulnerable?”

Despite annual council tax increases over the past decade, councils have been forced to prioritise services they are legally required to provide. This has coincided with significant cuts to other services and increased charges. 

Council Leader Amanda Hopgood said the council has continued to campaign for more support but is yet to receive a significant lifeline and faces potential “severe cuts” in the future. 

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The Labour leader said the struggles are due to “yet another failing of the last Government.”

He added: “Successive years of underfunding have left councils experiencing significant budget pressures, and that is felt by constituents, residents and individuals across the country. 

“This Government will clear up the mess and get councils back on their feet. Multi-year funding settlements will partly help to allow longer-term work to be done. 

“But we recognise the importance of councils, which know their communities best. With greater stability, we can support them in ensuring that the services that they provide get to the people who need them.”