LOCAL Government Minister Kris Hopkins claims Ilkley is at the top of a hit list of non-Labour council wards targeted for cuts – after government ministers were accused of making the Bradford district a “fall guy” for national austerity cuts.

Bradford Council leader David Green charged the government with “smoke and mirrors” by handing it responsibility for crisis loans for the poorest, while taking away the cash to pay for them.

Councillor Green warned of local government “failing” without an end to the cuts, as the Labour-run council contemplates being forced to make £160m of savings since 2010.

Keighley and Ilkley MP, himself a former Bradford Council leader, rejected claims of unfairness.

Now he has accused Bradford Council of hitting areas such and Ilkley hardest. Mr Hopkins said: “It has long been plainly obvious that Labour-led Bradford Council is targeting its cuts at wards not represented by Labour ward councillors, and Ilkley is at the top of this hit list. Councils do have tough choices to make but they must also be based on fairness for council tax payers, particularly in Ilkley where local residents pay in much more than they receive back from Bradford City Hall.”

Independent councillors in Ilkley and Craven wards have raised concerns about Bradford Council potentially cutting back on services such as maintaining flowerbeds and cutting grass on bowling greens in the summer.

And Mr Hopkins says such services are important in terms of tourism.

He said: “Ilkley - and therefore the district as a whole – draws great benefits from tourism and the maintenance of flowerbeds and such like are certainly very important in this regard.”

Cllr Green claimed Bradford Council wanted to provide essential services, but the system could fail without the removal of some responsibilities or greater devolution.

He said: “They say we have got to provide essential services – and we want to provide them – but they are making us bear the biggest burden of the cuts. The system will fail unless they give us more devolution, including fiscal devolution, or ease the burden by taking some of those responsibilities off us.”

Ministers said Bradford will lose £19.9m, or 4.1 per cent of “spending power”, with other heavy losses in Kirklees (£8.8m, 2.5 per cent), Calderdale (£3.8m, 2.1 per cent) and Leeds (£15.1m, 2.3 per cent).