Government cuts are unfair and unjust, says Greater Manchester Mayor

Tony Lloyd

Greater Manchester’s Mayor Tony Lloyd has slammed the government’s austerity agenda for penalising the poor.

An Institute of Fiscal Studies report, published today, shows that changes to how local authorities are funded have disproportionately hit the most deprived areas of the country.

Tony Lloyd will raise the issue and the findings of the report with Greater Manchester leaders when they meet this Friday.

Mr Lloyd said: “This report shows how the poorest in our society are still being left behind while the wealthy shires continue to prosper. This is unfair and unjust to the people of Greater Manchester, which has some of the most deprived communities in the UK.

“In Greater Manchester we have taken control of our own destiny, working more closely together, pooling resources and reshaping services, but we cannot ignore the fact that more than £1bn has been axed from local authority budgets – and we cannot ignore the impact on local people, particularly the most vulnerable in our communities.

“Greater Manchester leaders have relentlessly called on Government to give us a fair deal and safeguard our communities. I will be raising this issue at the GMCA meeting in Salford this Friday to ensure we continue to put pressure on Ministers.”