CITY councillors have accused Worcester MP Mike Foster of living on another planet and not supporting them in their bid to secure better Government funding.

Senior Tory councillors Francis Lankester and Derek Prodger said Mr Foster should speak up for the city more and criticised the scale of the Government settlement.

The Labour MP refuted the claims, branding Coun Lankester as "obnoxious", adding that no-one listens to him.

No influence?

"What's the use of having a Member of Parliament who doesn't appear to be able to exercise any influence on these matters?" Coun Lankester said during a cabinet meeting.

"If memory serves me right he (Mike Foster) said this settlement was good news for the hard-working families of Worcester.

"What planet is this man living on? It's certainly not the Worcester where we all live. He should be aware of the real world rather than 'planet Foster'.

"An MP doesn't have to be a Government poodle. He can stand up for his city and his constituents. I think we'd all like him to do that."

Mr Foster said the Government's funding formula had just completed a three-year freeze and that Worcester receives the biggest grant per resident compared to county districts.

"Very few people take a great deal of notice of what little people like Francis Lankester have to say," he added.

"He's quite an obnoxious character and his comments have been made when he was hot under the collar.

"Whenever I've been asked by the city council to engage with Government departments to gain more cash, for example in the bid to get recycling off the ground, I've done so willingly and been successful."

The cabinet agreed to consult with the public on its budget plans, which would see its Council Tax demand increase 2.5 per cent.