Investment zones across the country will help Global Britain to thrive
‘These zones will become hubs for innovation and enterprise in the spirit of historic towns like Bournville’
‘People know how to spend their money better than any Government’
Britain is at its best when we are open to new ideas and opportunities. Our country became great through its embrace of free trade, free enterprise and free markets. We have the opportunity to become greater still by seizing our new-found freedoms outside the European Union.
At this time of great global challenges, we cannot take a businessas-usual approach to the economy. We need to be bold and embrace true Conservative economics of low tax and ambitious supply side reform. My bold economic plan will do that, dealing with the cost of living, getting growth going and unleashing our full potential.
My plan is rooted in core Conservative values: freedom, aspiration, opportunity. It is why I am the only candidate who will cut taxes, due to my firm belief in doing the right thing by rewarding people for their hard work. It is why I am determined to double down on levelling up so that everyone in all parts and of all backgrounds has the opportunity to succeed as part of an aspiration nation.
Today, I am unveiling a plan for new investment zones across the country, which are at the heart of my vision for levelling up in a Conservative way.
We will work with local communities to identify sites ripe for transformation across the country through lower taxes, reduced planning restrictions and red tape.
These zones would open the floodgates to new waves of investment. They will become new hubs for innovation and enterprise in the spirit of historic towns like Bournville and Saltaire.
I will be unashamedly pro-business in driving investment up and down our United Kingdom. We will go further to galvanise investment in hard-working people and brilliant British businesses by strengthening current freeports. Whitehall will not be picking winners and losers under my watch. Instead, we will liberate freeports to maximise our opportunity post-brexit to lead the world in key industries such as AI, quantum and hydrogen power. These full-fat freeports will be world-class engines of growth.
People and businesses know how to spend their money better than any Government. We cannot carry on with the highest tax burden in 70 years, which risks stifling innovation and investment. I would decisively break from that by scrapping the planned corporation tax rise to show that Britain remains open for business.
My economic plan will help light the spark for a new industrial revolution and make our economy a lodestar for the rest of the world. My investment zones will rejuvenate local areas in the same way the London Docklands was regenerated, with new jobs in the industries of the future.
I don’t believe in managed decline. My plan is positive and forwardlooking. It is designed to turn our economy into a high-growth, highly productive powerhouse by cementing its status as the best place in the world to invest. At the same time, it will ensure the private sector grows faster than the state as we keep tight control on public spending.
This is where our future lies. I have a clear vision and the determination and experience to make it happen. As Trade Secretary, I helped secure major deals such as Nissan’s £1billion investment to expand its plant in Sunderland and create a hub for electric cars. I rolled out the red carpet to the world’s largest investors for a special summit, where they pledged nearly £10billion in a decision which will create 30,000 new jobs. As Foreign Secretary, I have deepened our economic and security ties with our friends across the globe.
We will not be able to get our economy back on track overnight. But this can be done with a clear Conservative plan, unity and courage of our convictions. That is how I delivered across six departments, from gripping the Northern Ireland Protocol to striking dozens of trade deals to punishing Russia for its appalling war through sanctions.
I am the tax-cutting and enterpriseloving Conservative with the strength to drive through the bold reforms needed. I will take on the Treasury orthodoxy and ensure Whitehall gets out of the way of our job creators. I will not give in to the vested interests or protectionist voices who would deny us the opportunities of the future.
Under my leadership, we will level up in a Conservative way, harnessing investment to drive job creation and economic growth. My plan will ensure we can play to our strengths as a science and tech superpower.
It will show Global Britain in action, open to the world and thriving on the strength of its enterprise.
Free enterprise is not just a tool for economic recovery but also for human progress. It has driven our national success story over centuries. By harnessing its full potential through investment zones, we will write a bold and bright new chapter in our proud history.