Treasury says Northerners typically receive £2,000 more per year in government services

By JASON GROVES, POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 23:55, 31 July 2026 | Updated: 23:59, 31 July 2026 Northerners typically benefit from nearly £2,000 a year more in government services than those who live in the South, figures show. Andy Burnham has vowed to divert more power and resources to the North, arguing that the region has traditionally lost out to wealthier places in the South of England. But analysis by the Treasury suggests that the North already receives more than its fair share.  The figures, released this month, reveal that the average value of public services per head in England stands at £13,134 per year. But the national average masks huge regional differences.  People living in the South East receive an average of £12,031 a year in services, while those in the South West get £12,432. By contrast, spending on public services in the North West averages £13,835 per head, while in the North East it is even higher at £14,102.  The figures cover a wide range of government spending, including health, education, public order, transport, housing and economic development. Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a visit to a family center in Sheffield on July 31 Tory MP Greg Smith said the figures show that the current funding system is 'entirely unfair' and the North is being short-changed But Tory MP Greg Smith said the figures give the lie to the idea that the North is being short-changed. Mr Smith, MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, said the current funding system was 'entirely unfair' to Southern areas like his and the Prime Minister could worsen that situation. 'It is so divisive, but it is also inaccurate,' he said. 'My constituents are over-taxed because it is to fund national taxes, which are predominantly not being spent on the things they want to see locally. 'Instead they are disproportionately given out to other parts of the country. 'We see it acutely here in Buckinghamshire where, for example, our roads are falling apart like the rest of the country's but we are not getting the resources to deal with them. We need a base level of fairness, not more division.'