MINISTERS have angrily rejected claims they are penalising council tax payers in Kent by siphoning money away from the south east to councils in the north and Midlands.

In an outspoken attack, local government minister Nick Raynsford said Kent was “playing politics” and had no reason to complain about the amount of money it was getting.

Accusations the Government was transferring money away from Kent were “a travesty” he said. The Government has announced earlier this week that Kent is to get an additional £400,000 for services – unlikely to make any dent in the multi-million shortfall KCC is facing.

Mr Raynsford took KCC to task over its complaints about under-funding. The council has announced that it is planning a 12.5 per cent increase in council tax bills and making 300 staff redundant over the next three years.

He said: “The distribution of money is not a process of sending money up north. That is a complete travesty. We have tried to recognise the needs of individual areas and there are some authorities doing very well in the south east.”

“Since Labour came to power, Kent has received from us an average annual increase of five per cent. When the Tories were in power, Kent got less than two per cent a year. If they are complaining now, perhaps they should look at what their own party was like when in it was in power. They did not complain then.”

The minister’s comments were criticised by Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart. He said: “For the minister to hark back to what happened between 1993 and 1997 is not helpful.

"He may say the former Conservative government did not give us more than two per cent but then it did not, as Labour is, instructing us to give 6.6 per cent to schools and spend 8.9 per cent more on social services."

County councillors will decide KCC’s budget at a meeting on February 20.