On Wednesday 3 February, I held a debate in Parliament on the Government’s cuts to local council funding which are hitting the poorest areas hardest. In Leicester, the City Council has suffered grant cuts of 37% in real terms since 2010. The council has already had to make annual savings of £100m and will need to make an additional £55m of savings over the next 4 years.

Even with all the difficult changes the Council is looking at and using up virtually all of their current reserves, they will struggle to fill the gap. And the impact on vital local services will be severe.

This picture is repeated up and down the country. That is why I am trying to secure a full opposition day debate in Parliament on this vital issue, as so many MPs are concerned about the impact council cuts are having on their constituents and communities. You can watch the full debate here