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Hull council tax-payers hit by £310 per person Government cut since 2010
Diana Johnson MP
25/02/16, 00:00
Hull North MP Diana Johnson has commented on the budget set by Hull City Council today.
Diana Johnson MP said: "This Council Budget is the product of unfair treatment from the Tory Government, backed by the Lib Dems for five years, hitting councils in the poorest areas with the deepest cuts.
"Since 2010 Hull City Council has had a cut from the Government of £310 for every person in the city one of the steepest cuts in the country for the tenth most deprived city.
"In the same period Epsom and Ewell - one of the least deprived areas - gained around £13 per head.
"With most of Hull's revenue coming from central government, the scale of these Government cuts mean that no matter what efficiency measures Hull finds, or how much emergency reserves are used, cuts to services and the increase in the council tax couldn't be avoided.
"Hull also has less of the scope enjoyed by councils in richer areas such as relying on the Business Rates or the Government's 'New Homes Bonus' - that would help offset the pressure for cuts and the council tax increase.
"Moreover, Hull wasn't given a penny of the £300m hand-out that was allocated to wealthier areas recently by the Government."
Earlier today, the Hull North MP confronted the Tory Leader of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, in the Commons with the fact that Hull had seen a huge cut in Government funding while the wealthier area he represents had actually seen increased Government funding.
Diana Johnson MP told the Commons: "Hull City Council is meeting at the moment to set its budget. Since 2010, it has had a cut from the Government of £310 per person, which, considering that it is the tenth most deprived area of the country, is one of the steepest cuts. In the same period, Epsom and Ewell, one of the least deprived areas, has gained £13 per head.
"Hull has none of the options that wealthier areas have to raise its own money, and has not received a penny of the £300m that the Government have found for other areas. Can we please have a debate on why the poorest areas of this country keep being subject to cuts by this Government?"
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