£1bn Brexit bribe

PM pledges cash for ‘left-behind’ towns in North and Midlands in bid to get Labour MPs to support her deal

The Prime Minister will unveil details of the new Stronger Towns Fund as she launches intensive efforts to woo Labour MPs in pro-Brexit seats.

The proposals will see £1billion allocated directly to towns in England. Details of the towns involved were not available last night, but 90 per cent of the cash is being allocated to areas in the North and Midlands.

A further £600million will be made available for towns across the country to bid for. The decision over the £1.6billion fund follows weeks of talks between ministers and backbench Labour MPs unhappy at their party’s attempts to frustrate Brexit.

Later this week, the Government will also unveil a new Workers’ Rights Bill designed to meet their demand to protect workplace rights after Brexit.

Mrs May said last night that the new fund was needed to help parts of the country that had been left behind. ‘For too long in our country prosperity has been unfairly spread,’ she said.

‘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.’

The money will be used for improving infrastructure and putting in place retraining schemes for people in traditional industries that have closed down.

Downing Street rejected claims that the cash amounted to ‘bribes’, saying Mrs May had long believed in the importance of not allowing parts of the country to get ‘left behind’.

But critics accused the Prime Minister of offering cash in return for votes. Former Tory minister Anna Soubry said people would ‘see this fund for what it is – a desperate measure to buy votes’.

Miss Soubry, now Brexit spokesman for the Independent Group of MPs, added: ‘The support of the DUP was secured with a £1billion bung for votes to prop up the Government after it lost its majority.

‘Now Theresa May is so desperate to get votes for a bad EU withdrawal agreement she is relying on the same old trick. Voters will not be fooled.’

The money is heavily weighted towards traditional Labour heartlands. While the North West will receive £281million, the South West is in line for just £33million, and the East of England receives just £25million. Former Labour Cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw urged his colleagues to resist the offer. Mr Bradshaw, the MP for Exeter, said: ‘Why on earth would a Labour MP trust the Tories on this? They have consistently hammered our leftbehind communities.

‘If Brexit goes ahead this month, the Tories will dump May, put in a hard Brexiteer and any earlier promises will become worthless.’

Simon Clarke, the Brexiteer Tory MP for Stockton- on-Tees, welcomed the new fund, but warned that it would not persuade him to back the deal in the parliamentary vote, expected on March 12.

‘It’s fantastic news that the Government is investing in Teesside,’ he said. ‘Local people are looking forward to our leaving the EU and this will further boost jobs and growth.

‘What this money won’t do, however, is buy any votes in Parliament. I am determined to deliver a proper Brexit, which means fixing the [Irish] backstop, while all the local Labour MPs are unapologetically in denial about the need to leave the EU at all.’

Allies of Mrs May believes she needs to win over at least 30 Labour MPs to cancel out the votes of Brexit hardliners on her own side who will not vote for any deal she brings back.

Former Labour minister Caroline Flint said yesterday that at least 70 Labour MPs had deep concerns about Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to back a second referendum.

Half of these might be persuaded to back Mrs May’s deal in return for concessions.

‘I don’t support bowing out without a deal and if it’s a choice between the improved deal and No Deal, I think we should seriously consider supporting an improved deal,’ she told Sky News.

Miss Flint, the MP for Don Valley in South Yorkshire, added: ‘I think there are something like 60 or 70 Labour MPs who feel as strongly as I do against the second referendum but many of those MPs also feel that we have to move on, we have to stop a No Deal and if there’s an improved offer on the table, Labour should engage with Hello, my old china: Theresa May, chatting to a factory worker making Portmeirion pottery in that sincerely. I think if there was a workplace protections given by EU demands for ‘dynamic alignment’ free vote, a number – tens, 20s, 30s law remain in place after Brexit. with EU laws, which would require – would vote for an improved offer, Similar protections will also be the UK to automatically adopt I think that’s the reality.’ guaranteed on health and safety new Brussels regulations in these

The Workers’ Rights Bill is laws and environmental regulations. areas after Brexit. But she has expected to guarantee that existing Mrs May has refused Labour agreed to legislate for Parliament

‘Boost jobs and growth’