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Poorest regions hit '10 times harder' by cuts than rich areas

Most deprived councils lost 25% of budget

A new study has revealed that Britain's most deprived areas are facing spending cuts 10 times greater than those in wealthy Tory heartlands.

And in northern regions unions accused the coalition government of "throttling local services for the poorest communities who rely on them the most."

Labour combined research with government figures and an analysis from Newcastle County Council on what English councils have to spend on services.

It found that the country's most disadvantaged communities faced the largest local government cuts between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

Labour says the 10 most deprived areas, including Liverpool, Manchester and Hackney and Newham in east London, suffered average spending reductions of 25.3 per cent.

But average cuts in the 10 least deprived areas, which include St Albans in Hertfordshire, Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire and Elmbridge and Waverley in Surrey, were 2.54 per cent.

Shadow communities minister and Leeds MP Hilary Benn described the figures as "shocking."

Northern, Yorkshire and Humber TUC policy and campaigns officer Neil Foster said: "This study reveals the appalling scale of Conservative and Liberal Democrat cuts to councils and the distorted priorities of the coalition.

"Coalition ministers have been throttling local services for the poorest communities who rely on them the most.

"Not only does this represent a vindictive attack on the most economically deprived areas, but it undermines northern regions' ability to respond and recover from the financial crash.

"Many councils in the north-east and Yorkshire are creaking under the strain of these central government cuts and tell us they will struggle to fund their basic statutory obligations in the future. For much of the country this isn't just another attack on the poor but represents an assault on local democracy itself."

And North West TUC secretary Lynn Collins added: "This is no surprise to local government workers and communities in the north-west, and the sad fact is that we haven't seen the worst of job cuts and service closures. That's why North West TUC will be joining Unison and other unions to demonstrate against government cuts to services and jobs on Saturday March 15 in Liverpool."

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