‘Levelling up’ left exposed by cuts

(Personally Speaking, October 11) for her excellent case against the Government’s refusal to keep up Universal Credit.

When it was introduced, the Government took advantage of the situation to reduce the amount of benefit.

Several years ago I watched Sir Iain Duncan Smith on TV on behalf of the Tories, telling a man who was struggling to live that he had proposals to help him.

That was deceptive, because what he meant was that he would cut benefits in order to force people like him to get a well-paid job.

Even now Conservatives think this will work, simply by preaching to companies to pay more, when private company aims are always dominated by profit, while simultaneously putting a freeze on much of public sector pay.

This makes a mockery of levelling up. In March this year, the Government announced a £200m fund to deprived communities, to be administered by already over-stretched local authorities.

Tim Farron, of the Liberal Democrats, has reminded us that the fund has still to be given out. It is part-replacement for the EU funding which local authorities have lost due to Brexit.

As I have written before, levelling up is meaningless unless it includes specific help for those struggling to live. Simply spending on buildings and business in areas like North Staffordshire will not solve our problem of inequality.

The only light I can see is that a few Conservatives have said that dealing with government financial problems on the back of the poor is immoral. Our local MPS need to join the campaign to uplift Universal Credit.

NIGEL JONES NEWCASTLE