Kirklees Council issues response after Rishi Sunak brands it "not fit for purpose" during Prime Minister's Questions

In a question to the Prime Minister, Dewsbury MP Mark Eastwood (Con) said: “Kirklees Council have closed Dewsbury Sports Centre, delivered just 14 per cent of educational healthcare plans within a 20 week target, are unable to deliver a five year land supply, just three of its many failings, and now they want to introduce extortionate car parking charges, punishing hard-working families and destroying the high street in our towns and villages.

"Would my right honourable friend agree with me that Labour run Kirklees Council is no longer fit for purpose?”

In response to this, the Prime Minister said: “I share my honourable friend’s disappointment with the Labour run council in Kirklees. Just this week, we saw I believe, a Labour councillor suspended for anti-Semetism, they’ve also closed Dewsbury Sports Centre and are proposing to increase car parking charges, punishing local businesses and shoppers in the run-up to Christmas.

"The council is clearly no longer fit for purpose and local residents deserve better.”

But in response, Leader of Kirklees Council, Councillor Cathy Scott, said: “With councils across the country facing a £4 billion black hole in their finances, NHS waiting lists at record highs and a Prime Minister who needs to raid the political graveyard just to find a Foreign Secretary, maybe Rishi Sunak needs to ask himself whether his government is fit for purpose.

“What a shame that Dewsbury’s Tory MP doesn’t use his privileged position in Parliament to do something useful for people in our area who desperately need help with the cost of living crisis and want the government to fund our public services properly.”