Rural communities like North Yorkshire are once again being short-changed by a local government finance settlement that is fundamentally unfair. Independent analysis from the Rural Services Network confirms what residents already know: urban councils are set to receive around a 21% boost in government-funded spending power, while the most rural areas will see increases of just 1%.
At the same time, rural residents are already paying around 20% more in council tax to compensate for years of underfunding, despite the higher costs of delivering services across large, sparsely populated areas. This is clear evidence of an ongoing urban bias that disadvantages rural England.
As former Shadow Local Government Secretary and now as Party Chairman I will continue to fight back against Labour's war on rural England is real. This settlement is the latest example of policies that leave rural communities paying more and getting less.
I will continue to stand up for a fair funding system that recognises the true cost of delivering services in the countryside.
