More than 30 leaders of England’s county councils have called on the new Government to ‘level up’ investment in all parts of the country.

The council chiefs have written to the Telegraph arguing that shire counties had been ‘left behind’ urban areas when it came to council funding.

Citing figures from the County Councils Network, the letter says counties receive just £240 for each resident compared to £419 in urban areas, with central London receiving £601.

It says that the lack of funding has contributed to the 'perverse situation' in which some residents in London pay half the council tax of those in shire counties.

The call follows a pledge by the Prime Minister to focus on levelling up funding in areas such as schools and infrastructure.

‘If the Prime Minister is to fulfil his pledge to level up opportunity in this country, we must have a cast-iron commitment to fair funding for our overburdened councils,’ reads the letter.

‘Mr Johnson knows from his time as Mayor of London how the capital benefited from more funding, enabling him to invest in its infrastructure and in local services while also cutting council tax.

‘It is time our shire counties were given the same opportunities.’