LOCAL GOVERNMENT FISCAL DEVOLUTION AND FREEDOM

That this House believes local government in England should become ever more independent from central control; welcomes the historic coming together of the Core Cities Group, the Mayor of London and London councils to campaign as City Centred for fiscal devolution and greater freedoms to England's great cities; notes that these cities are the engines of the UK's economy and have bold ambitions for growth that would bring benefits across the country calls for funding reform to better allow the cities to invest and grow; further notes their concern that 95 per cent of all tax raised in these cities currently is sent to the Treasury; understands that their proposals will be cost-neutral at the point of devolution and not impact on funding for other parts of the country; and calls on all parties that aspire to Government to take action to progress the proposals as part of their localism agenda.