Red Wall MPs Welcome Raft Of Levelling Up Funding Announced In The Budget
3 min read
Red Wall Tory MPs have enthusiastically welcomed a plethora of funding commitments from the Chancellor to “level up” Britain.
During today’s budget Rishi Sunak announced more than £10 billion worth of levelling up investments, targeting skills, innovation, and infrastructure in regions of the UK that have complained they have traditionally been left behind by government.
The Chancellor revealed £560 million will be spent on funding 300 youth clubs in England, and more than £200 million will go towards building or transform up to 8,000 “state of the art” football pitches across the UK.
Funding will also be put in place to turn 100 areas of derelict land into new pocket parks.
As well as improving parks, the government will spend £1.7 billion on the first round of bids from the government’s Levelling Up Fund, targeting projects in Aberdeen, Bury, Burnley, Lewes, Clwyd South and Stoke-on-Trent, among others.
Dehenna Davidson, whose constituency of Bishop Auckland will receive £20 million to upgrade transport links, tweeted: “What a Budget. What a day for Bishop Auckland.”
Ben Everitt, whose Milton Keynes North constituency will receive a £70 million investment in zero emissions buses, said: “Delighted Milton Keynes is receiving funding for 56 zero emissions buses as part of a £70m fund.
“I wrote a joint letter with Iain Stewart backing Milton Keynes' bid so I'm thrilled it was successful. Milton Keynes is building back greener thanks to this Conservative government.”
Tory party vice chair and MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardin, Andrew Bowie, tweeted: "Levelling up the whole United Kingdom. Aberdeen's levelling up bid, approved and when our city succeeds, so does the 'shire.
"Conservatives delivering."
Levelling up spending will also target cultural and heritage sites, with £850 million being invested in the protection of museums, galleries, libraries and local culture.
“Levelling up is also about protecting our unique culture and heritage,” Sunak said during his budget speech.
“Thanks to the Culture Secretary, over 100 regional museums and libraries will be renovated, restored and revived.”
More than £130 billion will be invested in transport infrastructure to connect towns and cities and providing £5.7 billion will help to create “London-style transport settlements” in Greater Manchester, Liverpool, the Tees Valley, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the West of England.
“Over the long-term the only way to pay for higher spending is economic growth,” Sunak said.
“If we want to see higher growth, we’ve got to tackle the problem that’s been holding this country back for far too long: Our uneven economic geography.
“This Government chooses to invest: To invest in our economic infrastructure. To invest in innovation. To invest in skills. To invest in a Plan for Growth that builds a stronger economy for the future. That’s what this Budget is about and that’s what this Government is about.”
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