£4bn pot to help ‘level up’ Red Wall towns

NEW Tory voters in the ‘Red Wall’ seats Boris Johnson won from Labour will benefit from a £4billion pot to support the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.

The Chancellor yesterday announced a new fund to help towns improve the lives of its residents.

Although available all over the country, it is designed to help areas hit hardest by the pandemic, many of which are in the North and have lagged behind the rest of the UK.

Money will be handed out for new roads, railway station upgrades, libraries and high streets. To win approval, projects will have to have the backing of the local MP and be deliverable within the current Parliament, before the next election.

The joint fund from the Treasury, Department for Transport and Communities department will be open for bids next year.

The £4billion value of the fund is the same amount cut from the foreign aid budget. Local areas will be able to bid for up to £20million to fund local projects.

Announcing the Levelling Up Fund during his spending review yesterday, Rishi sunak said: ‘This Government is funding the things people want and places need.’

The spending review document said the money would be invested in ‘local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities and will support economic recovery’. it added: ‘it will be open to all local areas in England and prioritise bids to drive growth and regeneration in places in need, those facing particular challenges, and areas that have received less government investment in recent years.’

Mr sunak said: ‘People want to be able to look around their towns and villages and say, “This place is better off than it was five years ago”. For too long, our funding approach has been complex and ineffective. i want that to change.’

Mr Johnson has made ‘levelling up’ – spreading money and power around the country – one of his priorities.

Tory MPs, some of whom won seats in traditional Labour heartlands – the Red Wall – are campaigning to ensure he sticks to his promise to boost their regions.

Jake Berry, the Conservative MP for Rossendale

and Darwen who leads the Northern Research Group of Tory MPs, said: ‘We welcome the Levelling Up Fund – it is a powerful statement of intent.

‘it is moving from an election-winning slogan to delivering for communities across the North of England. it is a really good start.’

Asked about critics who have accused the Government of pork barrel politics, he said: ‘Why don’t they leave sW1 and go and visit some of these communities across the North that have waited for decades for a government to invest in them.

‘MPs and the Government are as impatient to improve communities in the North of England as the people who live there. Frankly, why should people wait?’

The Chancellor said the Treasury will set up its Northern headquarters next year.