More than 40 Tory MPs urge Rishi Sunak to boost funding for struggling councils
Over 40 Tory MPs have written to Rishi Sunak to demand extra funding for councils to avoid cuts to crucial frontline services.
Seven former cabinet ministers were among the signatories of the letter, which warned residents face a “double whammy” of reductions in services and higher council tax rates for local authorities to deliver a balanced budget.
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Struggling councils have repeatedly called on the government to provide emergency cash to protect provisions for local communities, as they have grappled with rampant inflation following a decade of significant funding reductions.
Last month ministers announced a £64bn provisional funding package, which, following a consultation, will be finalised in February with a vote in parliament.
However MPs who signed the letter, seen by Sky News, threatened to vote against the Local Government Settlement unless more cash is made available.
The MPs said they are “exceptionally concerned that without any additional investment, the overwhelming majority of upper-tier councils in our areas are planning service reductions and higher council tax in order that they can pass a balanced budget”.
They added: “There is still an opportunity to rectify the situation and ensure MPs are able to support the vote on the Local Government Settlement within the House of Commons in early February.
“We would therefore urge you to do all you can to use the Final Local Government Finance Settlement to provide additional funding for local government to ensure that the councils in our areas can continue to provide the services that our residents depend upon on a regular basis.”
Read More:
Why are councils going bankrupt?
Councils ‘running out of road’ to bridge £4bn funding gap
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Nottingham council declares bankruptcy
Signatories of the letter include former local government secretaries Greg Clark and Robert Jenrick, former home secretary Dame Priti Patel, former Tory party chairman Sir Jake Berry, and chairman of the centrist One Nation caucus Damian Green.
It was signed by 44 Tory MPs in total, as well as as well as Labour’s Daniel Zeichner and Liberal Democrat Sarah Dyke.
It poses a fresh headache for embattled Mr Sunak, who has blamed previous cases of councils going bankrupt on the mismanagement of local Labour leaders.
The number of Tories who have signed the letter means the prime minister could find himself facing a significant Commons rebellion when it comes to a vote on the issue next month if more money isn’t provided.
The letter, organised by the County Councils Network, said county and unitary councils face a £650m overspend this year and a £4bn shortfall over the next three years.
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PM defends his position amid polls
They said there has been particular pressure on the cost of providing care for vulnerable adults and children and any extra funding should go towards this.
It is understood council leaders are lobbying the government for an extra £750m to help ease pressure over the next year.
Ben Bradley, the Mansfield MP and leader of Nottinghamshire county council, said “constructive” talks had been held with Downing Street on the issue.
However, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt under pressure to cut taxes at the spring budget, it is unclear what fiscal headroom he will have to bail out struggling councils.
The first Office for Budget Responsibility forecast this week will provide clarity on how much money is available for spending and pre-election tax giveaways, which he has made clear are his priority.
The local government finance crisis has been highlighted by a string of section 114 notices, which effectively declare councils bankrupt.
Last year Nottingham Council and Birmingham City Council were among those to issue the notices.
Nearly one in five English councils are at risk of bankruptcy, according to the Local Government Association.
A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “We recognise councils are facing challenges and that is why we have announced a £64bn funding package – a real terms increase at an average of 6.5% – to ensure they can continue making a difference, alongside our combined efforts to level up.
“We recently consulted on the final settlement for next year and are now considering the responses carefully.
“Councils are ultimately responsible for their own finances, but we remain ready to talk to any concerned about its financial position.”
Lawmakers in the US Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the nomination of Paul Atkins to be a member of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), paving the way for a full floor vote in the chamber.
In an April 3 executive session of the banking committee, lawmakers voted 13-11 for Atkins to serve two consecutive terms as an SEC commissioner, taking over former Chair Gary Gensler’s term and another term ending in 2031.
Atkins’ nomination will soon go to the Republican-controlled Senate for a full floor vote, where many experts suggest he is likely to be confirmed.
Senator Tim Scott addressing lawmakers on April 3. Source: US Senate Banking Committee
Before calling for a vote, committee chair Tim Scott said Atkins would bring “much-needed clarity for digital assets.” Ranking member Elizabeth Warren reiterated earlier concerns about Trump’s SEC pick helping “billionaire scammers” like former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and Tesla CEO Elon Musk “actively trying to destroy” federal agencies.
This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.
The US Treasury Department sanctioned eight cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to Russian crypto exchange Garantex and the Houthis.
The United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned eight crypto addresses that data from blockchain forensic firms Chainalysis and TRM Labs had linked to the organizations. Two are deposit addresses at major crypto platforms, while the other six are privately controlled.
Visualization of transaction flow related to OFAC sanctions. Source: Chainalysis
The addresses in question reportedly moved nearly $1 billion worth of funds linked to sanctioned entities. Most of the transactions funded Houthi operations in Yemen and the Red Sea region.
Slava Demchuk, a crypto-focused money laundering specialist and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime consultant told Cointelegraph that “the inclusion of Houthi-linked wallets reflects a broader recognition of crypto’s role in geopolitical conflicts and terrorism financing.” He added:
“The implications are far-reaching — compliance frameworks must adapt swiftly, attribution efforts will intensify, and decentralized platforms may face increased scrutiny.“
Demchuk highlighted that the situation reshapes the regulatory landscape. According to him, crypto “is now firmly within the scope of international security.
Who are the Houthis?
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, are a Yemeni political and armed movement that emerged from the Zaidi Shia community. Originating as a revivalist and reformist group, they later became a major force in Yemen’s ongoing conflict.
Related: US DOJ says it seized Hamas crypto meant to finance terrorism
In recent years, the Houthis have engaged in attacks against both military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. In January, US President Donald Trump designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization.
The announcement noted that “the Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.” The group was recently struck by a US bombing campaign.
Related: Binance claims’ no special relationship’ with Hamas, argues to dismiss lawsuit
Garantex: Russia’s crypto laundromat
Garantex is a Russian crypto exchange that was sanctioned and shut down in early March after purportedly helping money-laundering efforts. At the time, Tether — the leading stablecoin operator and issuer of USDt — froze $27 million in USDt on the platform, forcing it to halt operations.
The platform has reportedly shifted millions of dollars as it sought to reboot under its new brand, “Grinex.”
In mid-March, officials with India’s Central Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of Lithuanian national Aleksej Bešciokov, who was alleged to have operated the cryptocurrency exchange Garantex.
The arrest of the alleged Garantex founder was based on US charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
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Lawmakers in the US states of Minnesota and Alabama filed companion bills to identical existing bills that if passed into law, would allow each state to buy Bitcoin.
The Minnesota Bitcoin Act, or HF 2946, was introduced to the state’s House by Republican Representative Bernie Perryman on April 1, following an identical bill introduced on March 17 by GOP state Senator Jeremy Miller.
Meanwhile, on the same day in Alabama, Republican state Senator Will Barfoot introduced Senate Bill 283, while a bi-partisan group of representatives led by Republican Mike Shaw filed the identical House Bill 482, which allows for the state to invest in crypto, but essentially limits it to Bitcoin (BTC).
Twin Alabama bills don’t explicitly name Bitcoin
Minnesota’s Bitcoin Act would allow the state’s investment board to invest state assets in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and permit state employees to add crypto to retirement accounts.
It would also exempt crypto gains from state income taxes and give residents the option to pay state taxes and fees with Bitcoin.
Source: Bitcoin Laws
The twin Alabama bills don’t explicitly identify Bitcoin, but would limit the state’s crypto investment into assets that have a minimum market value of $750 billion, a criterion that only Bitcoin currently meets.
26 Bitcoin reserve bills now introduced in the US
Introducing identical bills is not uncommon in the US and is typically done to speed up the bicameral legislative process so laws can pass more quickly.
Bills to create a Bitcoin reserve have been introduced in 26 US states, with Arizona currently the closest to passing a law to make one, according to data from the bill tracking website Bitcoin Laws.
Arizona currently leads in the US state Bitcoin reserve race. Source: Bitcoin Laws
Pennsylvania was one of the first US states to introduce a Bitcoin reserve bill, in November 2024. However, the initiative was reportedly eventually rejected, with similar bills also killed in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Related: North Carolina bills would add crypto to state’s retirement system
Montana, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wyoming are the five states thathave rejected Bitcoin reserve initiatives. Source: Bitcoin Laws
According to a March 3 report by Barron’s, “red states” like Montana have faced setbacks to the Bitcoin reserve initiatives amid political confrontations between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
Additional reporting by Helen Partz.
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