Political parties have joined forces to send the Government a message of discontent accusing it of stripping vital services of cash.

It comes just days after ministers went on the offensive and accused local authorities of implementing unacceptable council tax rises.

All four groups on Brighton and Hove City Council believe the Government gave the authority an unfair grant settlement this year, which left it with no choice but to make cutbacks.

Other local authorities across Sussex have also condemned the policy of diverting money from the South to the North, which they say is leaving services stretched to breaking point.

The lack of cash is the main reason why Brighton and Hove, where no party has overall control, faces a financial black hole of £18 million.

Group leaders Ken Bodfish (Labour), Brian Oxley (Conservative) and Paul Elgood (Liberal Democrat) along with Green Party convenor Keith Taylor have all signed a letter to local government minister Nick Raynsford.

Labour and Tory finance spokesmen Simon Burgess and Garry Peltzer Dunn have also added their names.

Before a council meeting last night they posed together for a photo outside Hove Town Hall.

They said in the letter: "We are taking the unusual step of writing to you jointly to highlight the serious financial challenges we are facing as a council."

They said changes in the grant formula had a highly detrimental effect on income the council received and was likely to receive in future years.

The authority has already been forced to make cuts of £6 million and increase council tax by 14.5 per cent in the spring.

Continued loss of funding would have an even more serious impact on its budget.

The letter said: "The scale of these reductions is potentially damaging to core services."

Councillors also pointed out the authority had received a good rating in the latest independent assessment of how it was faring.

The Government said this week that councils may have to hold referendums before imposing large council tax rises. But many councils hit back, saying they had been left with no choice.