A group of Somerset MPs are set to meet Local Government Minister Alison McGovern this week to push for an improved funding settlement for Somerset Council for 2026‑27.
The county’s six Liberal Democrat MPs requested urgent talks after describing the provisional settlement as “profoundly disappointing”. In a joint letter to the Minister, they said Somerset would receive only a marginal increase in funding, rising from £249million this year to £252million next year.
They warn that the announcement suggests almost all rising costs in adult and children’s social care, along with other essential services, would have to be met by local residents through Council Tax increases. They also say Somerset appears likely to lose out significantly on income from business rates.
The MPs argue the settlement will create serious challenges for both the council and the communities they represent. They highlight Somerset’s “unique and acute combination of pressures”, including an ageing population, rurality, higher service delivery costs and rising demand for adult social care, children’s services and SEND support. They say the settlement fails to provide the level of funding required even to maintain core services, let alone invest in prevention and long‑term resilience.
Their concerns include the settlement’s failure to reflect the higher cost of delivering services in rural and sparsely populated areas, funding increases that fall short of inflation and rising demand, and the continued reliance on short‑term grants that make long‑term planning extremely difficult. They also warn that Somerset’s modest local tax base cannot reasonably be expected to close the growing funding gap, placing an unfair burden on residents already facing cost‑of‑living pressures.
The MPs say their concerns are echoed by the County Councils Network, which has warned that recent changes to the government’s proposals disproportionately benefit London and metropolitan boroughs at the expense of rural areas. The network says the continuation of the Recovery Grant and the removal of “remoteness” from most of the funding formula will divert hundreds of millions of pounds from rural to urban councils over the next three years. It has also questioned whether the last‑minute changes amount to ministers unfairly selecting which councils benefit from additional funding.
Following major savings programmes and redundancies at Somerset Council, the MPs say the authority has already taken difficult decisions to stabilise its finances during the transition to a unitary council. However, they warn the current settlement risks further cuts to non‑statutory but valued services such as public transport support, road maintenance, arts and culture, libraries and local infrastructure.
They are calling on the government to ensure future settlements properly reflect rural need, provide a sustainable multi‑year funding framework, and deliver a long‑term solution for adult social care and SEND funding. Their letter concludes that Somerset residents deserve a fair funding settlement that allows the council to meet its obligations and support thriving, resilient communities.
The meeting between the MPs and the Minister is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
