BOLTON is being ‘short-changed’ by Theresa May’s £1 billion deal with the Democratic Unionist Party, a long-serving MP says.

Figures show that Northern Ireland residents are now getting 22 times as much funding as those in Bolton will through devolution, according the House of Commons library.

Sir David Crausby, the Labour MP for Bolton North East, says the huge disparity is ‘simply unfair’.

Under the deal agreed by the Prime Minister, Northern Ireland is to get an extra £244 per person every year to be spent on services such as schools, hospitals and major transport schemes.

That compares to just £11 per person given to Greater Manchester under the region’s £30 million devolution deal.

Sir David said: “Our infrastructure needs to be improved, our public services need to be protected. We should not be short changed just because the Tories need to have their Government propped up. Our region could thrive with the right investment but the Conservatives have repeatedly shown that they will not deliver.”

Chris Green, the Conservative MP for Bolton West, responded: “Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances – not least the legacy of the Troubles – means that it faces very specific challenges. The employment rate in Northern Ireland is six percentage points lower than in England and it has the highest suicide rate in the United Kingdom, which is why the funding includes support for mental health services over the next five years.

“I’m proud of the Conservatives’ commitment to Greater Manchester and the Northern Powerhouse.

"Labour’s legacy in government is one of neglect for the North. It is only under the Conservatives that we have seen a revival for the plans for a Westhoughton bypass and huge funding increases for our roads and infrastructure, as well as a record number of jobs.”