Starmer could face rebellion by north-west Labour MPs over local funding

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Kiran Stacey and Patrick ButlerJanuary 20, 2026 at 08:33 PM

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Keir Starmer faces a potential rebellion from Labour MPs in northwest England over concerns about local council funding. These MPs, along with the Labour mayor of the Liverpool city region, are urging the government to revise the recent three-year local funding settlement, arguing it unfairly disadvantages northern towns. They contend that the funding formula, partly based on housing costs, doesn't adequately address deprivation caused by low incomes in their constituencies. Some MPs are considering voting against the settlement in Parliament. They fear the cuts will impact vital services and make them vulnerable to challenges from parties like Reform UK in the upcoming election. The MPs are calling for increased funding to address the growing demand for services like children's services and adult social care.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Wigan 30% Oldham West 30% St Helen's 30% Warrington 30% Barnsley council 40% Liverpool city region ×240% Knowsley 40% Anneliese Midgley 50% Stephen Houghton 50% Jim McMahon 60% Steve Reed 70% Keir Starmer ×280%

Keywords

local funding 90% north-west labour mps 80% local government settlement 70% northern towns 70% council funding 60% government funding 60% low incomes 50% deprivation 50% steve reed 40% keir starmer 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Liverpool city region

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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local funding north-west labour mps local government settlement northern towns council funding government funding low incomes deprivation steve reed keir starmer

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