THE MPs that represent the Dudley Borough have signed a collaborative letter calling on the government to prioritise the area ahead of the Fair Funding Review.
The MPs for Dudley, Halesowen, Stourbridge and Tipton and Wednesbury, Sonia Kumar, Alex Ballinger, Cat Eccles and Antonia Bance, have written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, urging the government ensure that Dudley is prioritised within the upcoming review.
The joint letter from the Labour MPs commends the government’s “commitment to reforming local government finance”, describing it as a “vital step toward ensuring that funding allocations reflect the true scale of need across the UK’s communities”, but argue that Dudley’s “deep-rooted deprivation and the financial mismanagement of recent years” require targeted intervention through the new Fair Funding framework.
They have collaboratively written: “The people of the Black Country are industrious and resilient.
“But more than 60 per cent of Dudley’s neighbourhoods are ranked among the most deprived in England.
“Fourteen years of austerity and six years of chaotic financial decision-making under the Conservatives have left social trust perilously low.”
The letter highlights what the MPs called “stark indicators of deprivation and inequality” across Dudley Borough, including statistics such as 33.9 per cent of neighbourhoods in the borough being in the top 10 per cent most deprived nationally for income and 30.5 per cent in the top 10 per cent for education, skills, and training deprivation.
The letter also says 20.6 per cent of working-age residents in Dudley have no qualifications (compared to 12.6 per cent nationally) and that the borough has an employment rate of 64 per cent (compared to 71 per cent nationally).
Dudley also has a below national average life expectancy for both men and women, and low reports of social trust at just -22 per cent, compared to -3.1 per cent nationally.
Dudley MP, Sonia Kumar added: “Dudley is one of the most deprived boroughs in England, yet its funding has failed to reflect the scale of local need.
“The Fair Funding Review offers a real opportunity to put that right — to stabilise local services, restore confidence in local government, and invest in the renewal our community deserves.
“The people of Dudley voted for change in 2024. Now they need to see that change delivered.”
The letter also references the Best Value Notice issued to Dudley Council in July 2025, describing it as a “serious warning sign” of the borough’s financial instability and a further justification for targeted Fair Funding support.
The MPs’ joint appeal concludes: “Dudley needs renewal. It must be prioritised for inclusion in the Fair Funding framework following the review.
“Doing so would allow us to stabilise services, invest in recovery, and deliver the outcomes our residents deserve.”
The Fair Funding Review is the government’s plan to reform and overhaul the distribution of funding to local authorities in England.
Following the consultation period over the summer, the amounts of funding each local authority will receive will be confirmed at the next Local Government Finance Settlement, in November or December.
The MPs warn that without targeted support, Dudley risks being left behind.
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