BARNSLEY East MP Stephanie Peacock said the government must take responsibility for the effects cuts are having on local councils and local services.

Speaking in Parliament, Stephanie addressed the government’s new funding settlement will see Barnsley Council lose 29.8 per cent of its grant by 2020.

The decrease follows a 49.1 per cent real-terms reduction in grants handed out by central government to local authorities across the UK since 2010.

Stephanie said: “Once again, local authorities are being forced to shoulder drastic cuts in funding through this government’s continued obsession with austerity.

“Barnsley Council has seen its budgets slashed since 2010, but demand for vital local services in our community continues.

“It’s grossly unfair and unrealistic to expect local authorities to continue providing the same level of local services with ever-dwindling resources.

“This government needs to take responsibility for their cuts and provide the resources local authorities like Barnsley desperately need to continue providing for local communities.”