Councils in north of England and Midlands to get more funding in shake-up

The changes could see funding boosts for Reform-led councils in the north with high levels of deprivation

Deprived towns and cities in the midlands and the north of England are the big winners in a major shake-up of local authority funding that will redirect cash from affluent rural areas to urban councils hit hardest by austerity.

Ministers said the changes put in place a fairer system that recognised the extra needs and weaker council tax raising powers of councils in so-called left behind' areas. It guarantees them real-terms funding increases for the next three years.