The leaders of 119 councils in England have joined forces to demand the Government gives them more powers to run their own affairs.

Both Kirklees and Calderdale council leaders are among the signatories of a letter warning the Government that voters in England will not accept greater devolution to Scotland unless there is a similar redistribution of power here.

Clr David Sheard, Kirklees leader, and Clr Stephen Baines, Calderdale leader, join their counterparts in 65 councils controlled by Labour, 40 by the Conservatives and 10 by the Liberal Democrats.

It comes before the Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement on Wednesday and calls for him to set out a “new settlement for England” which shares out tax and spending across the UK “on a fair basis”.

“It’s England’s turn now,” they wrote. “The people we represent, who look north of the border with envy at the greater control Scots are to get ... will expect nothing less.”

The leaders also warned Mr Osborne that having seen their budgets slashed by 40% over the current parliament, local government could not afford another punishing round of “austerity” cuts adding “more of the same” cannot be an option.

Local government minister Kris Hopkins warned that councils could not be exempt from the continued need to find savings.