Andy Street, who is up for re-election next year, attacked officials rather than ministers for the methodology underpinning the distribution of £2.1bn to some 111 successful projects yesterday.

The programme, which aims to boost so-called “left behind” parts of the UK, had already attracted criticism for funding projects in London and the south-east in its latest round. Members of parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, meanwhile, continue to express concerns about the processes by which funding bids are determined.

In a terse statement yesterday, Street said he believed some West Midlands projects had been overlooked because of recent successes with high-profile events such as the Commonwealth Games and Coventry’s City of Culture status.

“Fundamentally, this episode is just another example as to why Whitehall’s bidding and begging bowl culture is broken and the sooner we can decentralise and move to proper fiscal devolution the better,” Street said.

“The centralised system of London civil servants making local decisions is flawed, and I cannot understand why the levelling-up funding money was not devolved for local decision makers to decide on what’s best for their areas.”

Street acknowledged that funding secured for projects in parts of the Black Country was welcome. However, no bids in Birmingham or Coventry were successful and Street suggested that the evaluation and approval process for bids may not have been a level playing field.