Hyndburn's new MP has told the Prime Minister the borough is the country’s worst-hit by government cuts.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, Graham Jones asked the PM David Cameron if he agreed with Burnley’s Lib Dem leader Charlie Briggs that funding cuts in east Lancashire were ‘obscene’.

It has emerged that Hyndburn will receive the maximum possible funding cut under local government spending announcements.

Reductions of £1.17b are being absorbed by local authorities in 2010/11 – with Hyndburn among the 10 hardest hit areas.

The borough’s revenue grant will drop by £240,000 and most of Hyndburn’s reduction will be in the £150,000 slashed from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund, which pays for apprenticeships at Accrington and Rossendale College.

The Cohesion and Prevent funds, which supports counter terrorism and anti-extremism measures, have also both been reduced by £60,000.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe has admitted the borough is facing ‘pain’, but has promised front line services will not be hit.

But Mr Jones MP said the local government cuts will only add to Hyndburn’s woes.

He claimed: "We’ve lost £1.6 million from Elevate, £1.4 million from HIPS and £475,000 from the Performance Reward Grant which finances PCSOs and disabled adaptations. Pennine Reach and the eight schools in Building Schools for the Future phases four and five have gone. There are also doubts over LEGI funding and the Todmorden Curve.

"The Chancellor is balancing the budget on the backs of the poor and it’s an absolute disgrace the way they’ve hit Hyndburn in particular. Margaret Thatcher must be jumping up and down thinking this is the heir apparent to my throne."

The increase in VAT to 20 per cent has also been criticised by opponents as a ‘regressive’ move, hitting the poorest the hardest.

But Hyndburn Council chiefs have vowed to protect the worst off as best as they can.

At last week’s cabinet meeting Councillor Britcliffe said: "Twice in 10 years we haven’t increased council taxes by a penny and this year we will be looking to keep council taxes as low as possible in the present climate."

He added that the country was ‘paying the price of the follies of the Labour government.’

The 10 boroughs that will receive maximum local government revenue grant cuts are: Ashfield, Barrow-in-Furness, Bolsover, Burnley, Great Yarmouth, Hastings, Hyndburn, Norwich, Pendle and Preston.