Friday, 19 Apr 2024

Tory cuts hit north and midlands £700m more than entire country’s ‘Brexit bung’

Tory austerity cuts have hit “left behind” towns in the north and midlands more than £700 million harder than Theresa May has promised to the entire country after Brexit , new figures have revealed.

The Prime Minister is set to launch a £1.6 billion fund for towns across the country after Britain leaves the EU.

But MPs said the pledge is “completely undermined” by the scale of cuts to industrial towns in the north and midlands since the Tories came to power.

New analysis by Best for Britain shows more than £2.3 billion has been sucked out of 34 “coalfield” areas since the Tories came to power in 2010.

It means on average the 34 council areas have seen cuts of £70 million to their funding, slashing their spending power dramatically.

Manchester has seen the largest cut in funding per head of population, with £302 per head cut over the eight years the Tories have been in power, and £165 million lost overall.

Birmingham has seen a £207 per head cut, with £307 million lost overall.

But the cuts have not only been felt by the biggest cities. Rochdale has lost £249 per head, while funding per head in Kingston Upon Hull has been cut by 263.

Bradford has lost £138 million from its budget overall, a cut of £257 per head of population.

And Sheffield has lost £142 million overall, a cut of £245 per head.

Of the 34 ‘coalfield’ towns analysed by Best for Britain, all but two voted for Brexit.

Angry Labour MPs last night accused the Prime Minister of offering a “shameless bung” to try to woo them to back her plans ahead of another vote.

Labour MP David Lammy accused the Prime Minister of offering “petty bribes” to Northern seats.

He said: “These communities need a radical programme of investment, not a Brexit which will make the country worse off and inevitably lead to more cuts."

Labour’s Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds North West, where the local council has lost £175 million in funding since 2010, said: “This analysis highlights the devastating and cruel nature of Tory austerity in the north and the midlands.

“This is mean-natured, brutal cutting of vital local authority funding. Not only does this seriously call into question Theresa May’s ability to provide any meaningful ‘coalfield’ regeneration fund post-Brexit, something I care greatly about having worked within those areas, it also completely undermines the integrity of her promises to Labour MPs given she was a key cog in governments that cut those areas to the bone.”

Labour’s Dr Paul Williams said:  “These cuts have been devastating for some of the most deprived areas in our country and their consequences will be felt for years to come.

"The Prime Minister was a key cog in successive governments who forced through this mean-spirited political agenda. She should be hanging her head in shame, not offering petty bribes and false promises to buy votes for her botched deal.”

Downing Street is hoping that up to 30 Labour MPs representing Leave-voting seats could back the PM’s deal to cancel out the votes of hard Brexiteers.

No 10 insiders have played down the idea of a ‘quid pro quo’ arrangement but the ‘pork barrel’ politics shows how desperate the Government has become.

Mrs May insisted the fund, which would be used to create new jobs, help train local people and boost economic activity, would give towns more control.

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