The two main party chiefs on Southampton City Council have clashed over highlighting the local authority’s perilous financial position directly to chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Conservative group leader Cllr Peter Baillie said he was amazed Labour leader Lorna Fielker did not feel it was appropriate to send correspondence to Ms Reeves given the “desperate” situation the council found itself in.

Cllr Fielker said she was making the case collectively for local government, authorities with exceptional financial support, like the city council, and Southampton itself to Angela Rayner’s office at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Peter BaillieShe told the council meeting on July 16 that she felt it was unlikely that the new Labour chancellor would respond to questions from individual councils “pleading for support”.

Cllr Fielker said she would “keep flying the flag and advocating” for Southampton.

The city council received approval from the former Conservative government for up to £121.6million in exceptional financial support for 2024/25.

This means the local authority can use its capital resources to cover running costs - by selling buildings or car parks, for example.

Earlier in July, the Labour administration revealed details of its transformation programme, which aims to deliver around £32million of savings for the 2025/26 budget.

Details on redundancies and asset sales are expected later this year.

Lorna FielkerIn response to Cllr Fielker, Cllr Baillie said the council was “in the middle of the worst financial crisis it’s ever had”.

“We have had months, if not years, of you forcefully extolling the fact you don’t think you’re getting enough money from government,” Cllr Baillie said.

“These are desperate times. I’m just amazed that you don’t feel they’re desperate enough to actually write to Rachel Reeves and explain these are really desperate times.

“At least put the case for Southampton individually rather than blocked with others.”

In light of the council leader’s responses, Cllr Baillie said he would consider writing to Ms Reeves directly in his position as leader of the opposition Conservative group.