England's poorest councils - including Liverpool and Knowsley - are still way behind the wealthiest local authorities in spending power despite the government's claims around Levelling Up.
New analysis shows that the money available to English councils in the poorest areas of the country, which receive less revenue from the local levy due to lower property prices and housing growth, is still significantly lagging behind after long-running reductions in direct government grants.
The research, by LG Improve and shared with the Press Association, used official figures and examined annual changes in spending power – the Government’s preferred measure of council funding as it includes council tax, business rates and core grants – for all top-tier councils since the dawn of austerity in 2011-12.
