Oxfordshire MPs from both main parties have led a charge to save millions of pounds for projects supporting the county's most vulnerable people.

Local Government Minister Yvette CooperUnder Government plans, Oxfordshire County Council's Supporting People Budget -- money used to fund services for the mentally ill and vulnerable across Oxfordshire -- will be cut by £10m over five years.

The cash is given to district councils and funds projects to help the homeless, elderly, teenage parents and those living with life-limiting illnesses.

But a revised funding formula means that the grant, which was £21m in 2002, will be cut by almost half over the next five years.

Critics say Oxfordshire is being unfairly targeted because those in Whitehall believe there is very little deprivation in the county.

Labour Oxford East MP Andrew Smith and his Oxfordshire Tory opponents -- Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Tony Baldry -- joined forces yesterday to confront local government minister Yvette Cooper about why the county faces losing the money.

Mr Smith said afterwards that Ms Cooper has told the county council to write to her and make a case that the services presently funded by the grant provide value for money.

He added: "The Government has accepted that the formula is not right and will conduct further consultation on it."

Mr Cameron, the MP for Witney, said the cuts "would mean that some of the most vulnerable in our community, including the frail, elderly and disabled, will be hit."

Mr Johnson, who represents Henley, said: "On the face of it this is a monstrous injustice to the people of Oxfordshire."

The proposed grant reduction has come as a surprise given that the council was awarded "Beacon" status for the way it supports projects for the most vulnerable in society.

If the grant is cut, so will services presently provided by the authority.

Don Seale, the council's executive member for community care and health, said: "One of the problems is that we have never really got to the heart of what the formula does or says.

"This is blatantly unfair on places like Oxfordshire and it would appear very little recognition is made to our pockets of deprivation.

"The delegation made these points very vigorously and the Government is going to look again at the formula, but the current plans are quite unacceptable."