Thursday, January 19, 2023
Sunak's levelling up agenda goes off the rails again
Oen of the biggest issues with leaving the EU was that we lost access to structural funds that were targeted at the poorest areas to get people back into work and help eradicate poverty.
Naturally, the Tories promised to replace these funds, however not only do the sums not add up, with poorer areas receiving less, but now we have a situation whereby the government is spreading what cash there is more thinly, and directing supposed 'levelling up funds' towards wealthier areas, which just happen to elect Tory MPs.
A less charitable person might suggest that money designed to tackle poverty and lift up economically deprived areas now forms part of a Tory slush fund. I think people should judge for themselves.
The Mirror reports that the latest dsitribution of £2.1 billion worth of levelling up money includes a £19 million investment in the Prime Ministers own wealthy constituency.
The paper says that documents show the £19 million will be used “to transform Catterick Garrison town centre”, including "new routes for walking and cycling, a new town square, and a new community facility that will host new businesses and a community kitchen.”
This allocation puts some flesh on the video which emerged in August of former Chancellor Mr Sunak speaking in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, where he told Tory activists: "We inherited a bunch of formulas from Labour that shoved all the funding into deprived urban areas and that needed to be undone. I started the work of undoing that."
Analysts said London is getting more cash from this latest announcement - £151m - than the North East which gets £108m and Yorkshire and Humber which gets £120m. The biggest regional winner was the North West, with £354m.
The so-called levelling up agenda is a farce.
Naturally, the Tories promised to replace these funds, however not only do the sums not add up, with poorer areas receiving less, but now we have a situation whereby the government is spreading what cash there is more thinly, and directing supposed 'levelling up funds' towards wealthier areas, which just happen to elect Tory MPs.
A less charitable person might suggest that money designed to tackle poverty and lift up economically deprived areas now forms part of a Tory slush fund. I think people should judge for themselves.
The Mirror reports that the latest dsitribution of £2.1 billion worth of levelling up money includes a £19 million investment in the Prime Ministers own wealthy constituency.
The paper says that documents show the £19 million will be used “to transform Catterick Garrison town centre”, including "new routes for walking and cycling, a new town square, and a new community facility that will host new businesses and a community kitchen.”
This allocation puts some flesh on the video which emerged in August of former Chancellor Mr Sunak speaking in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, where he told Tory activists: "We inherited a bunch of formulas from Labour that shoved all the funding into deprived urban areas and that needed to be undone. I started the work of undoing that."
Analysts said London is getting more cash from this latest announcement - £151m - than the North East which gets £108m and Yorkshire and Humber which gets £120m. The biggest regional winner was the North West, with £354m.
The so-called levelling up agenda is a farce.
