Our Man in Westminster

This week’s budget is even more important than usual as it is accompanied by a comprehensive spending review which will set out the main areas of government spending will be concentrated in the coming years.

This will have a significant effect in and around Ashford as it will show how the government intends to pursue the levelling up policies designed to increase the attraction of other parts of the UK outside the south east of England.

As Gerry Clarkson, the leader of Ashford Borough Council, pointed out last week, this should take some of the future pressure off areas like ours.

I was therefore pleased to see the announcements to improve transport links in the Midlands and North, and even more pleased to see the whole-hearted welcome from the mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham.

Helping cities like Manchester provide the quality of life which encourages people to live there and businesses to move there

(or stay there) spreads growth around the country.

Of course we want our share of that growth and the prosperity it brings.

We just don’t want to be the only part of the country that is attractive for new residents. It’s a difficult balancing act.

I hope that there will be some good news for Ashford in the budget (I am writing this before we have heard the chancellor) as there are a number of projects I have been supporting which need central government money to progress.

As businesses recover from the pandemic they can go back to providing the high-quality jobs we want to see in Kent.

It has been a painful couple of years for the economy, so this week needs to signal the turning point when the country can start moving forward again.