by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Dorset Council leader Nick Ireland say he has little hope for improvement to the county’s position after the Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he was to step down.
The council has suffered financially at both the hands of Labour and the previous Conservative governments.
The only thing likely to be make any difference is the way that rate support grant is worked out – currently on a formula which has consistently put Dorset at the bottom of the pile, resulting in residents having to pick up a higher proportion of the council’s spending from the council tax they pay, than in most other areas.
Many in the county believe that Westminster has for years been under the impression that Dorset is overwhelmingly a wealthy area, full of well-heeled retirees awash with disposable income. In reality the county has some of the poorest and most deprived area in the UK with too many low-paid and insecure jobs, many of them dependent on tourism.
Said Dorset Council leader, Nick Ireland: “Whoever becomes Prime Minister, the question for Dorset is whether we finally get a fair deal; because under successive governments, areas like ours have too often been overlooked and underfunded.
Liberal Democrats have long argued that rural counties are being short-changed, and the pressures we face in Dorset, from adult social care to housing and local services, reflect that. Simply changing leader at the top won’t be enough unless it comes with a real shift in priorities and proper investment in communities like ours.
We will be making that case forcefully from day one. Dorset is ready to take more control over its own future. Over the past two years, we’ve shown what strong, collaborative local leadership can deliver, and now we want the powers to go further.
That means securing a Wessex Mayoral Strategic Authority. Too many devolution deals have focused on big cities, leaving counties behind. That cannot continue. Dorset has the ambition, the leadership and the track record, and we will be pressing hard to ensure our residents are not left out of the next wave of devolution.
As Liberal Democrats, we believe decisions should be made closer to the people they affect. We will work with any government where it benefits Dorset, but we won’t be afraid to stand up and demand better. Our communities deserve fairness, investment, and a stronger voice in shaping their future.”
Portland Labour councillor Paul Kimber welcomed the PM’s decision and said he has hopes that the next leader will be Andy Burnham, who he said he recalls visiting the Sailing Centre in recent years.
