Levelling up paper is ‘socialist’, MP says

AN INFLUENTIAL Conservative backbencher has labelled the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper as “socialist”, as he called on colleagues to implement more conservative policies.

Speaking ahead of the report’s full release yesterday, Steve Baker,

MP for Wycombe, tweeted: “The Government’s Levelling Up press release implies the proposals are as socialist as I feared.

“We should be using our 80seat majority to implement conservative policies, not policies that wouldn’t look out of place in Labour’s manifesto.”

Mr Baker labelled the “missions” of the White Paper as “admirable”.

But added “our answer to everything cannot be more Government, more Government, more Government.

“Let’s empower individuals and communities to take control over their lives and their areas.”