May’s £1.6bn towns fund is ‘Brexit bribery’

Prime Minister’s bid to win over opposition MPS ‘smacks of desperation’, claims shadow chancellor

THERESA MAY will today launch a £1.6billion fund for deprived towns in Labour strongholds in a bid to win over opposition MPS.

The move has prompted accusations that Mrs May is trying to “bribe” Labour MPS to get her Brexit deal through Parliament.

Graham Stringer, the Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton, said the money for northern towns is not enough to convince him to support Mrs May’s “very poor” Brexit deal.

“If she thinks she’ll change my vote, she’s got another think coming,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

John Mcdonnell, the shadow chancellor, accused Mrs May of “Brexit bribery”.

“This towns fund smacks of desperation from a government reduced to bribing MPS to vote for their damaging flagship Brexit legislation,” he said.

Mr Stringer said of the investment into deprived towns “at least it is recognition the North isn’t getting enough”, but he pointed out that it is still “a fraction of what [Mrs May] is going to give to the EU for goodness knows what”.

He said he will still wait to see what changes Mrs May manages to secure from Brussels, but added: “I won’t shift my vote because of bribery – I will [only] shift it because of what is good for my country.”

The “stronger towns” fund will be used to create new jobs, provide skills training and improve infrastructure such as road and rail links.

Communities will have a say on how the money is spent. While £1billion of the fund has already been allocated, a further £600million will be open to bids from all parts of the country.

John Mann, the Labour MP for Bassetlaw, said he plans to support Mrs May’s Withdrawal Agreement, but not as a result of the new fund.

“We are not for sale any more than we are for patronising,” he said, but

acknowledged the money will help industrial towns. “To compete as the best in Europe our industrial towns need skills and infrastructure. After we leave [the EU], this money points us in the right direction.”

However the move risks a backlash by Tory MPS. Grant Shapps, a former chairman of the Conservative Party, said: “Whilst money for deprived areas is welcome it’s important that the Government remembers that deprivation isn’t confined to Labour constituencies.

“There will be many good arguments for spending money in Conservative constituencies as well.”

Announcing the investment, the Prime Minister said: “For too long in our country prosperity has been unfairly spread. Our economy has worked well for some places but we want it to work for all communities.

“Communities across the country voted for Brexit as an expression of their desire to see change – that must be a change for the better, with more opportunity and greater control.

“These towns have a glorious heritage, huge potential and, with the right help, a bright future ahead of them.”

Later this week the government is expected to offer MPS rolling votes on whether to adopt workers’ rights legislation that comes out of Brussels after Brexit, in another attempt to win over wavering Labour MPS.

Stephen Barclay, the Brexit Secretary, has warned Mrs May that there are “significant risks with this approach”. In comments reported in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Barclay said the Prime Minister must “stop short” of giving Parliament a binding say on workers’ rights.