Councillor Brian Kenny moved and Councillor Jo Bird seconded a Motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order 13.

Having applied the guillotine, in accordance with Standing Order 9.1, the Council did not debate this matter.

Resolved (39:20) (One abstention) – That,

Wirral Council notes:

1. Our communities are facing high levels of unemployment and climate change as well as the devastating impact of the Covid 19 pandemic.

2. Instead of “whatever it takes” promised by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, this Conservative Government is threatening Wirral Council with further austerity and cuts.

3. Our appreciation and thanks to thousands of Wirral workers who provide essential services - including social care, waste collection and environmental health workers and many more.

4. Our country is facing an unprecedented jobs crisis. The Office for Budget Responsibility predicts that, by the end of this year, nearly one in eight of the UK’s workforce will be unemployed – and some communities on the Wirral already have over 15% unemployment.

5. The need to work together with other Councils and local residents to challenge the Conservative government to provide the necessary resources to save our vital services – and enable secure, sustainable, fulfilling employment that pays at least the Real Living Wage.

6. Urgent measures are needed here and now to protect workers in many sectors from losing their livelihoods by not pulling the plug on job retention measures.

7. Unless ministers fix the current national funding shortfall for local authorities – estimated to be in the region of £10bn – there could be tens of thousands of job losses and catastrophic cuts to local services in England, according to Unison.

8. This government have found £15bn for so called PPE contracts, but without any transparency.

Wirral Council therefore agrees to:

(1)  Refer this to the Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee to consider supporting the “Alliance for Full Employment” to mobilise all the resources of the UK to end the recession and create good, quality jobs.”

(2)  Ask Group Leaders to urge the government to provide fair funding to local councils in order to keep communities safe and build back better from the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic.

(3)  Ask Group Leaders to urge government ministers (in writing and on film) to find additional resources for councils to avoid devastating harm to services that have already suffered ten years of budget cuts.