Anger over Council Tax

From a national fund of about 340m, the amount the county is being given would mean on average each household reducing its yearly council tax bill by a paltry two pence.

Rubbing salt into the wounds is the announcement that other south east counties are being handed millions of pounds in government aid, including Kent with 8m, Essex with 7.7m and Hampshire with 7m.

East Sussex finance chiefs are astonished.

Deputy leader Cllr Daphne Bagshawe said: "I feel extremely angry that we have again been let down by the Government and I believe our residents will share my anger. Local people will be asking the question '“ surely this is a huge mistake?

"As the Audit Commission has recently said, Ministers made a real mess of changing the system of council funding last year and hit East Sussex hard.

"This year, even when they try to dig themselves out of a hole with this so-called council tax lifeline, they hit us again but I repeat my promise to work as hard as I can to bring down rises in council tax bills.

"We said we would not be able to complete this process in one year but I can assure our residents that even without extra Government help, we will be well on our way this year as my budget proposals in February will demonstrate. Most emphatically, no thanks will be due to the settlement announced by Mr Raynsford ."