Leaked letter from county council leader criticises MPs 'negativity' over funding pressure.

Available for over a year

A leaked letter from the leader of Northamptonshire County Council has criticised the county's MPs for not supporting "one of the most pressurised and underfunded counties in the country". Councillor Heather Smith wrote the letter to all seven Conservative MPs after Northampton North member Michael Ellis said the authority had lost his confidence over the way it has handled increasing financial pressure. The county council is currently consulting on almost £10m worth of cuts, including to libraries, children's centres and bus subsidies. The Conservative council is due to reveal plans for another £27m of cuts before the end of the year. They have also warned that savings of half-a-billion pounds will have to be made by 2021 unless they get more money from central government.