Chris Loder MP recently met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, to drive home the reality for rural residents in West Dorset. The meeting built on an earlier exchange Mr Loder had with the Chancellor in September. This time, Mr Loder emphasised the challenges faced by rural residents in comparison to those living in urban areas.
Mr Loder said: “My meeting with the Chancellor was most constructive and has once again placed West Dorset firmly on the Treasury’s radar. I’ve been clear that more needs to be done to address the disparity between rural and urban areas. It’s an issue which affects the funding of key services, such as our schools, policing, and local authority.”
He continued: “There are many examples that exemplify the disparity with urban areas. For instance, 16- and 17-year-old students in rural Dorset pay for transport to their educational provider, while those in urban areas do not. And rural people pay more Council Tax on average per head than those in urban areas. Rural constituencies deserve to be treated the same as urban ones, and I’ll continue to take the interests of my constituents to the very top of Government.”
