Title

FINANCE

Airport windfall helps council reduce cuts

Extra revenue generated from Manchester City Council’s stake in the Manchester Airport Group has helped the authority scale back planned cuts.

Extra revenue generated from Manchester City Council's stake in the Manchester Airport Group has helped the authority scale back planned cuts.

The council has announced cuts of £30m over the next three years despite last autumn's warning they would have a budget shortfall of between £40m and £75m.

This is despite the Government's financial settlement leaving Manchester £1.2m worse off than anticipated though council tax will increase by 4.99% - including the 3% social care precept - in 2017/18 and 2018/19, and 1.99% in 2019/20.

Council leader, Sir Richard Leese, said: ‘The last few years have been very challenging for the council as we have had to deal with continuing cuts at the same time as increasing pressures on services.

‘This has been exacerbated by unfair government funding settlements, which have hit big cities such as Manchester the hardest.

‘We remain determined to do all we can, working with Manchester people and other partners, to continue to protect the vulnerable and give everyone the opportunity to share in the success of the city's growing economy.

'This budget process underlines this partnership approach as we attempt to strike the right balance which, inevitably, still involves some difficult decisions.'

 

FINANCE

'Concerned' Reed launches anti-profiteering push

By Dan Peters | 21 May 2026

‘Concerned’ local government secretary Steve Reed has vowed to ‘take action’ to tackle ‘profiteering’ in parts of the sector.

FINANCE

May 8: The day city regions fractured from within

By David Marlow | 21 May 2026

David Marlow says the post-7 May political composition of England’s six Integrated Settlement Mayoral Combined Authorities did not only shake up who runs cou...

FINANCE

English devolution: Redefining mayoral scrutiny

By Natalie Rotherham | 20 May 2026

Natalie Rotherham says scrutiny is becoming a core pillar of England’s evolving devolved governance system, with mayoral accountability now expected to match...

FINANCE

The public will accept straight talk from politicians so long as there is a rationale

By Michael Burton | 20 May 2026

By claiming the public could have both high public spending and low taxes, the main parties opened the floodgates to the siren voices of the populists, says ...

Popular articles by William Eichler