Local Councils’ Staggering Debt Will Have ‘Extreme Effect,’ Warns MP

Published on January 16, 2024

Financial struggles and the effective bankruptcy of local authorities can have an “extreme and long-lasting effect” amid the piling up debt, officials have warned. The Public Accounts Committee discussed on Monday the issue of staggering debt experienced by councils across the country. Committee Chair Dame Meg Hillier said that “squeezed spending power” and ageing populations were among the factors pushing councils to borrow large sums. Local authorities that have to then pay off the debt affects their ability to provide services for their residents. “Some of the outlier examples of high local authority debt are staggering. And the impact on services for residents is liable to be extreme and long-lasting,” Dame Meg said....

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