Government ignores Liz McInnes plea for Greater Manchester funding

Copy of Liz McInnes MP letter to the Theresa May re DUP deal

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Liz McInnes, MP for Heywood and Middleton, has received a response from the government dismissing her request for Greater Manchester to receive £1billion in extra funding in line with that given to Northern Ireland.

The general election in June saw the Conservatives lose their overall parliamentary majority and to remain in power they signed a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, who agreed to support the Tories in return for £1billion of funding.

Following numerous questions and comments from residents, Labour MP Ms McInnes wrote to the Prime Minister to ask if Greater Manchester can have a similar cash injection.

She said: “It is disappointing to receive a reply from the government which completely ignores the perfectly reasonable questions residents urged me to ask of them.

"Their letter has the gall to claim that the DUP deal ‘is about delivering for the whole of the United Kingdom’ and says nothing about the huge cuts public services in Greater Manchester have been forced to endure.

"Just a fraction of the £1billion given to the DUP would make a massive difference to our region.

"Theresa May told people during the election – including an NHS nurse on BBC’s Question Time – that ‘there is no magic money tree’. However, when threatened with losing their own jobs ministers quickly and easily found £1billion to secure the deal.

"I think it is only fair to ask where our share of this previously unknown funding is and why our police, fire service, schools and NHS are being forced to suffer massive cuts.”