Our quality of life has diminished

Published date17 April 2024
Publication titleEvening Chronicle
Government grants to local authorities reduced in real terms by 40% between 2010 and 2020. This had a disproportionate effect on authorities in the most deprived areas as their other sources of income; council tax and business rates, were proportionately lower than the wealthier authorities. This meant services had to be cut to a greater extent in the poorest areas

The 2019 Conservative manifesto put great store on 'levelling up'. It stated: 'we need to get away from the idea that ''Whitehall knows best'' and that all growth must inevitably start in London'.

We now know that 'levelling up' led to costly competitive bidding by local authorities with most authorities being unsuccessful and Whitehall making the final decision. It also led to Tory ministers granting funding to each other's constituencies, funds going predominantly to constituencies with Tory MPs.

Less than two years ago, in his speech to Tory...

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