Cornwall has inner city level deprivation but receives Government funding equivalent to wealthy Shire counties, says West Cornwall MP Andrew George.

Fellow Liberal Democrat MP's Dan Rogerson and Stephen Gilbert, are also promoting petitions to encourage government to end the funding "penalty" that rural councils suffer in contrast to urban authorities and to give rural areas like Cornwall a "fair deal".

Mr George is collecting signatures across West Cornwall as part of the national petition which will be presented to Parliament next week.

Mr George said: “Under the Government’s funding formulae, rural local authorities are penalised in contrast to their urban counterparts. Urban and metropolitan authorities receive 50 per cent more Government money per head than rural councils.

“It has been brought into sharp relief at a time when Cornwall Council is being forced to find ways of saving millions from its budget due to the Government’s belt tightening. Cornwall wouldn’t face these challenges if it received a fair share of Government funding.

“When money is tight it becomes even more important that the funding arrangements are fair. Currently, Cornish residents earn less on average than those in the cities but pay council tax which is £75 more per head. However, urban and metropolitan councils receive Government grants of 50 per cent per person more than those in rural areas.

“This is not a question of arguing for more Government spending, but simply for fair funding.

“The Prime Minister says he wants to freeze the current situation until 2020. However, my Cornish Liberal Democrat Parliamentary colleagues and I believe that freezing the system until 2020 is indefensible, locking in past unfairness and preventing the Government’s recognition of the rural case.”