David Crausby Labour MP for Bolton North East
New figures show how English regions including Greater Manchester are being short-changed by Theresa May’s £1 billion deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
Northern Ireland residents are getting 22 times as much funding as Greater Manchester will through devolution, according to analysis by the House of Commons library.
Northern Ireland is to get an extra £244 per person every year, to be spent on services such as schools, hospitals and major transport schemes.
Meanwhile, the Government’s devolution deal with Greater Manchester provides the region with just an extra £11 per person each year.
The analysis, undertaken at the request of Labour MPs, shows how money for English regions is dwarfed by the cash pouring into Northern Ireland. This is in return for 10 DUP MPs pledging to support the Tories in the House of Commons.
This funding arrangement is simply unfair. Our infrastructure needs to be improved, our public services need to be protected. We should not be short changed just because the Tories need to have their Government propped up.
Our region could thrive with the right investment but the Conservatives have repeatedly shown that they refuse to deliver for us.
DUP deal compared to additional investment funding in devolution deals |
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DUP deal = additional £244 per capita |
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Devolution Deal |
Annual amount (£m) |
Population (m) |
Per capita annual amount (£) |
Per capita extra given to Northern Ireland (£) |
|
West Midlands |
36.5 |
2.8 |
13 |
231 |
|
Greater Manchester |
30.0 |
2.7 |
11 |
233 |
|
East Anglia* |
30.0 |
2.3 |
13 |
231 |
|
North East* |
30.0 |
2.0 |
15 |
229 |
|
Liverpool City Region |
30.0 |
1.5 |
20 |
224 |
|
Sheffield City Region |
30.0 |
1.4 |
22 |
222 |
|
Greater Lincolnshire* |
15.0 |
1.1 |
14 |
230 |
|
West of England |
30.0 |
1.1 |
27 |
217 |
|
Tees Valley |
15.0 |
0.7 |
23 |
221 |
|
Total |
246.5 |
15.6 |
16 |
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Sources: National Audit Office; Offi ce for National Statistics; Department for Communities and Local Government |