IT is official.

Research carried out by the Local Government Association shows the Coalition Government’s ’austerity’ drive has hit the poorest areas the hardest.

Areas, including Halton, with high levels of need and deprivation have had their local authority budget cut more severely than areas with low levels of deprivation.

Local authorities where the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are in charge have escaped the worse of the cuts.

Labour-run Halton has seen its budget cut per head by £255.87.

In the same period Conservative-run Wokingham has seen cuts of just £2.29 per head.

The pattern is the same across the country. Liverpool has endured cuts of £391.46, Knowsley £403.86 per head of the population while leafy affluent Conservative-run Windsor had cuts of just £14.02 and Elmbridge in Surrey £8.14 per head.

I judge political parties by their actions.

When Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats talk about ‘fairness’, remember they voted for and supported these budget allocations.

David Cameron and George Osborne have rewarded areas that voted Conservative.

Both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats, by their actions, have shown they are not fit to be re-elected.

BILL SMITH
Grappenhall