COUNTY Hall leaders are calling for the government to end what it claims is unfair funding for the county.

The Conservative-run authority says it risks losing as much as £33m if the Government continues with a shift of cash from the south east to the Midlands and the North.

Ministers are expected to announce the outcome of another review of local government funding in the autumn. That is expected to lead to a change in the formula by which councils are allocated grants for services.

Council leaders say they have been "systematically losing government grant for services" over several years and will continue to be out of pocket unless there is a move to address imbalances.

But the call has already drawn short shrift in some quarters, with County Hall’s opposition Labour group dismissing the campaign as "political grandstanding of the most juvenile kind."

A Government spokesman, meanwhile, said any claims about a £33million shortfall was total speculation.

But the council maintained its stance and insisted the review threatened it with a shortfall on top of the £55million it said it had already lost.

Councillor Nick Chard, cabinet member for finance, said: "It is time to say enough is enough and for everyone who has Kent’s future interests at heart to work together to ensure we get fair funding."

County council leader Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said: "We are not asking for more than anyone else. All we are asking for is a fair deal."

Opposition group Labour leader Cllr Mike Eddy said: "The reasons why there are high levels of government spending in some parts of the country is because their economic base is so much lower than Kent’s. This is political grandstanding of the most juvenile kind."

Kent MPs, the strategic health authority, police and fire representatives, Medway’s unitary authority and Kent’s 12 district councils are to be invited to a summit shortly to consider a joint response to the Government’s consultation.