A reallocation of council funding could redirect hundreds of millions of pounds from so-called left-behind communities in the north of England to the leafy southern shires, analysis has found, leaving many newly Conservative voting “red wall” areas facing fresh cuts to local services. The proposed methodology comes out of a fair funding review announced more than a year ago under Theresa May. Labour councils have previously criticised the fair funding review for removing deprivation as a factor in the allocation of cash, adversely affecting urban areas. The LGA analysis is the first time the impact on individual councils has been robustly modelled. We will continue to progress the fair funding review through close collaboration and engagement with the local government sector, and aim to publish a consultation with indicative allocations in spring 2020.

Source: The Guardian January 25, 2020 06:01 UTC