“They should apologise to the people of Milton Keynes.”

Milton Keynes Council is in a partnership with a number of neighbouring Councils. It is called the Local Government Shared Services.(LGSS)

On Thursday, the partners were due to discuss potential large-scale investment in our shared Revenues & Benefits Service. Having a good well-resourced service is vital especially as the roll out of Universal Credit starts to bite, causing stress and pushing people into poverty and rent arrears. 

But no Tory councillors from Northampton Borough Council or Cambridgeshire County Council turned up. And no apologies were given. 

Cllr Rob Middleton said: “ At today’s LGSS Public Meeting, I was due to be discussing potential large-scale investment in our shared Revenues & Benefits Service alongside councillors from both Northampton Borough Council & Cambridgeshire County Council. Instead, the committee meeting had to be cancelled at the eleventh hour. Despite repeated phone calls to both of them, no apologies were received or any explanation offered. As a Labour Councillor from Milton Keynes, I’ve no option but to conclude that the Northampton & Cambridgeshire Conservative Councillors simply couldn’t be bothered to turn up. They just have no interest in people struggling on in work and out of work benefits. ”

Cllr Middleton continued: “ This was a hugely costly waste of everyone’s time. Councillors are paid good money to turn up to committee meetings. If I can make the journey from Milton Keynes to Northampton, there’s no excuse whatsoever to justify why the Northampton Borough Conservative Councillors  couldn’t even walk across the road from County Hall.”

Cllr Middleton added: “As the Labour Councillor responsible for the revenues & benefits service in Milton Keynes, I want to be talking about the hugely controversial roll-out of universal credit across our local communities by Central Government. And more importantly, how we can invest in our shared revenues & benefits service to help our local residents especially those from vulnerable groups.”

Cllr Middleton concluded: “I think that the missing Tory Councillors should apologise to the people of Milton Keynes. No wonder their Councils are struggling given the commitment of these councillors.  They cannot even get the basics right and clearly do not care about the thousands of households who rely upon the Revenues and Benefits service.”