Five Questions To Ask Your MP Ahead Of The Local Government Settlement

With decisions on the local government finance settlement expected next week, now is a crucial moment for rural communities to make their voices heard.

MPs play a key role in scrutinising government decisions and holding ministers to account. One of the most effective ways to influence the debate is to ask your MP to raise questions directly with Ministers, particularly where the evidence behind funding decisions is unclear or contested.

To help support those conversations, we have set out five simple but important questions that residents, councils and local organisations may wish to put to their MP ahead of the settlement.

What evidence does the Government have that deprivation drives additional costs of service delivery?

Deprivation is a central factor in the funding formula, yet rural councils continue to face higher delivery costs linked to distance, scale and sparsity.

Do you think it is right that rural residents pay, on average, around 20% more per head in council tax than urban residents?

Many rural households already face higher living costs, raising questions about the fairness of this imbalance.

What evidence does the Government have that remoteness does not create additional costs for local government services, aside from adult social care?

Rural authorities consistently report higher costs across a wide range of services, from transport to waste collection and emergency response.

Why has the Government not published the data and evidence underpinning decisions in the new funding formula?

Greater transparency would allow councils and communities to understand how funding decisions are being made.

Why is the Government continuing to allocate funding using IMD 2019 data alongside IMD 2025?

Relying on outdated data risks misrepresenting current needs and entrenching existing funding inequalities.

Now is the time to raise these questions. Contacting your MP and asking them to press ministers for clear answers can help ensure rural needs are properly recognised before final decisions are made.

Find your MP and their contact details at:
https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons