BURY'S new MPs have held the first of what both sides hope will be regular meetings with local authority bosses.

David Chaytor, Bury North MP, and Bury South's Ivan Lewis have vowed to make Bury's push for a better deal from Government their priority in the House.

The talks, with council leader Coun Derek Boden, deputy leader Coun John Byrne, acting chief executive Mr Dennis Taylor, and borough treasurer John Cook, covered a range of subjects.

But overshadowing the talks was the subject of local government finance.

Bury faced years of cuts under the last government, suffering mainly because of the way the funding formula was applied. Now, with a new government and new MPs, the town hall hopes to get a bigger slice of the cake and an end to budget cuts.

Coun Boden described the meeting as "a most encouraging beginning". The council leader highlighted the crisis in education funding during the meeting. He said: "Until now our education service has been the envy of many right across the country.

"We have produced unbelievable results off scant resources but I think everyone would agree that the cuts we were forced to make will have an impact.

"That is why we are working now - and with our two MPs - to do something about it."

Mr Chaytor highlighted the "wholly inadequate" capital programme - the amount of money the borough has to spend on much-needed building work in schools.

"The education capital programme of £2,000 is a derisory legacy of a government well past its sell-by date and totally out of touch with the magnificent achievement of Bury's family of schools which we must all fight to preserve and nurture," he said.

Mr Lewis added: "We have agreed that officers will put together a detailed document highlighting Bury's historic financial difficulties over many years: how the authority has suffered more than most, and what the projection for service delivery will be over the next year or so if some positive government intervention is not forthcoming."

Coun Boden added: "We are delighted that both our new MPs have thrown their support behind our efforts and the fight will go on to obtain a fairer deal for local people."

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