THE Labour leaders of Burnley and Blackburn with Darwen councils led calls for government investment in East Lancashire road and rail links after a report claimed 89 per cent of transport cash went to London and the South East.

As they reacted to Chancellor George Osborne’s confirmation of a further 10 per cent cut in local government spending yesterday they pleaded with his deputy Danny Alexander for good news on investment in the North West in a Commons statement today.

The report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) revealed transport spending in the North West is £99 per person, £714 in the South East and £2,596 in London.

Burnley borough leader Julie Cooper said: “This cut in local government spending is the worst we expected. It is devastating for councils, especially Burnley, Pendle, and Hyndburn currently receiving an extra efficiency support grant.

“We do have the £8m Todmorden Curve improvement linking the Burnley and Manchester lines next year but we need major improvements in road and rail links. One of Burnley’s biggest problems is isolation.”

Blackburn with Darwen leader Kate Hollern said: “This is just as bad as we feared. We desperately need investment in our transport links.”

IPPR associate policy director Will Straw, seeking nomination as Labour candidate for Rossendale and Darwen, said: “This report shows 89 per cent of investment in transport is for the South East. The North West gets just £700m investment out of £32 billion.

“We are calling on Mr Alexander to dedicate extra resources to transport projects outside of London. We need cash to improve the East Lancashire Line, electrify the line between Clitheroe, Blackburn and Manchester, and bring in the Rossendale commuter link.”

Rossendale and Darwen Tory MP Jake Berry said the IPPR was a left-leaning think tank.

“We already have the Todmorden Curve next year and plans for a half-hourly train service between Clitheroe, Blackburn and Manchester by 2015.

“Since 2010, we have seen how local services can be delivered better. Anyone who uses community assets in Darwen transferred from the council knows they are better run by local people than by the town hall.”