Andy Burnham accused of ‘committing daylight robbery on Middle England’ by allegedly taking cash from Tory-run rural councils while boosting funding for Labour town halls

Andy Burnham and the Government have been accused by Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians of shifting money from rural and Conservative-led councils towards Labour-run urban areas. The dispute centres on a planned change to local authority grants, with critics warning that some councils could face higher taxes or reduced services.

An analysis cited in the article says funding for Labour-run councils will rise by £1.6 billion over five years, while grants for councils dominated by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats will fall by £487 million. Conservative MP Greg Stafford said Surrey County Council was set to lose £50 million in one year, and Kemi Badenoch said she was prepared to challenge the cuts in court. The Government’s department defended the changes, saying they direct funding towards areas of greatest need and that nine in 10 councils will receive funding broadly in line with their needs, up from a third before the reforms.