A SWINDON MP has defended the Government by insisting Swindon Council is getting a better deal than it would under the Tories.

Labour's Julia Drown, who represents South Swindon, says she knows the town is not receiving its fair share of the money from central government.

But she claims that, unlike the previous Government, her party is trying to change the discriminatory standard spending assessment system.

The SSA has been recognised for years as being unfair, as it doles out money based on social and geographic factors that often do not give a true indication of an area's need.

Swindon, for example, is penalised for having a low unemployment rate and is judged to have few areas of social deprivation.

It even loses out on money for high-way improvements because it is thought to have fewer lorries using its roads.

Ms Drown says she does not argue with headteachers and councillors in the town who claim the system is crippling the council's budget.

But she says it is a complex system to change and working out a fairer method is taking some time.

Proposals for a new system to be introduced from April 2003 are scheduled to be announced in a Govern-ment white paper in the next few weeks.

Ms Drown said: "I do appreciate the concerns in Swindon and there will be pressures on our local authority services.

"I am pushing for more resources for Swindon all the time, as I did when I raised the issue with the Prime Minister last week.

"But this is a system introduced by the Tories, who refused to accept it was unfair when they were in office and made no attempt to change it.

"Unlike the Tories, we have increased funding for councils by 20 per cent since 1997 and are trying to find a fairer distribution system."

Conservative council leader Mike Bawden told yesterday how the SSA allocation had left it £300,000 short of what it expected, deepening its cash crisis.

His group will put forward a budget proposal next Wednesday.

This will include a nine and a half per cent tax rise and cuts to services such as the voluntary sector and leisure facilities.

He suggested if anyone had concerns with their proposals, then they should ask both Ms Drown and North Swindon MP Michael Wills why the Government has refused to fund the council ade-quately.

Mr Wills was unavailable for comment.