Somerset Conservatives have responded to the Interim Auditor’s Annual Report for 2024/25, which has issued a new statutory recommendation after auditors found the Liberal Democrat-run Council’s governance and financial controls over the Life Factory project were “wholly inadequate” and that the authority failed in its responsibilities as the accountable body.
Councillor Diogo Rodrigues, Leader of the Conservative Opposition, said:
“This new statutory recommendation is a serious red flag. The auditors have said the Council’s arrangements for safeguarding public money on the Glastonbury Life Factory project were wholly inadequate. Residents expect their council to look after taxpayers’ money properly. In this case, it did not happen.”
“The report contains further red flags. Somerset Council is still relying heavily on Exceptional Financial Support, which the auditors warn is ‘not sustainable.’ They state clearly that Somerset remains at risk of financial failure unless detailed and deliverable savings plans are produced at pace. With a £90 million budget gap forecast for next year, that is a direct risk to the services residents depend on.”
“Despite some progress, the auditors say transformation ‘still lacks detailed business cases’ and is not yet in a form that can deliver the savings required to stabilise the Council’s finances. Two years on from becoming a unitary authority, Somerset still does not have the fully developed transformation programme needed to secure its future.”
“There are several fundamental weaknesses affecting financial stewardship, transparency and the Council’s long term stability. Taken together, they amount to a series of red flags that the administration cannot ignore.”
“Residents need a council that is in control of its finances, able to safeguard public money and capable of protecting vital services. This report shows clearly that the Liberal Democrats are failing to move Somerset forward far enough or fast enough to secure that stability.”
