Government bias has cost us millions, says Bradford Council leader Dave Green

Bradford Council’s Labour leadership has accused the Government of “gross unfairness” by imposing severe cuts here while wealthier districts get extra funding.

Its leader, Councillor David Green, said the situation was shameful.

In December, it was revealed that Bradford would have its total ‘spending power’ cut by £40.3 million, or 8.2 per cent, between 2014 and 2016.

But many councils in Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire will receive more, rather than less, money.

Since then, Bradford Council’s Labour leadership has been crunching the numbers and comparing this authority’s plight to some of the wealthiest areas in England.

They say the country’s ten least deprived districts will receive an average ‘spending power’ increase of £1.4 million over two years.

And they argue that if Bradford had faced similar treatment, they would have nearly £42 million more to spend on frontline services.

Coun Green said: “It is shameful that northern cities and towns like Bradford, Keighley, Shipley, Bingley and Ilkley are being targeted by a Conservative and Lib Dem coalition to bear the greatest burden of austerity.”

But a spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government denied it was being unfair on Bradford Council, saying the authority still had more to spend per household than the national average.

He said: “The Coalition Government has delivered a fair settlement to every part of the country – north and south, rural and urban, metropolitan and shire.

“In the coming year councils should stay focused on cutting waste, making sensible savings, modernising frontline services and keeping council tax down.

“Local government finance now puts councils in the driving seat, rewarding them for supporting local enterprise, building more homes and backing local jobs.

“Bradford’s spending power per household is £2,360 which compares to a national average of £2,089 per household.”