Shire county funding

sir – We welcome Boris Johnson’s commitment to “levelling up” government investment in all parts of the country.

For decades our shire counties have been left behind urban areas when it comes to council funding. Counties receive just £240 for each resident compared to £449 in urban areas, with central London receiving £601.

A lack of funding has contributed to the perverse situation in which some residents in London pay half the council tax of those in shire counties. Counties face a deficit of £11.2 billion – nine times greater than in the capital.

The County Councils Network has campaigned tirelessly to redress these funding inequalities and for a bigger funding pot for all local authorities.

Under the stewardship of Rishi Sunak – now Chief Secretary to the Treasury – good progress was made on the fair funding review. There was hope that there would be a genuine balancing of funding. But the changing of the guard in Westminster has cast doubt over this.

If the Prime Minister is to fulfil his pledge to level up opportunity in this country, we must have a cast-iron commitment to fair funding for our overburdened councils.

Mr Johnson knows from his time as Mayor of London how the capital benefited from more funding, enabling him to invest in its infrastructure and in local services while also cutting council tax. It is time our shire counties were given the same opportunities. Cllr David Williams

Hertfordshire County Council Cllr Paul Carter Kent County Council Cllr Nick Rushton Leicestershire County Council Cllr Peter Nutting

Shropshire Council and 27 others; see telegraph.co.uk