Tories pledge £20m each of levelling-up funds to 30 more towns | General election 2024
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The Conservatives have pledged to give 30 more UK cities £20m each. equalization of funding in the next decade if they win the election.
Rishi Sunak said the 30 would be added to the government’s long-term plan for cities, which is designed to pay for the regeneration of underfunded areas.
Under this plan, each city receives a £20m fund to invest over the next 10 years. A further 30 – including Mansfield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Hartlepool – will bring the total number of towns in the scheme to more than 100.
The proposals will cost £60m a year and will be funded by the Conservatives’ promised crackdown on tax avoidance, which they say will raise £6bn a year.
Of this £6 billion, £2.4bn has already been earmarked for pensions and £1 billion to create compulsory national service.
Labor accused the Tories of making billions of pounds of unsecured promises. This week, Sunak unveiled a series of policy commitments in a bid to reduce Labour’s 20-point lead in the polls.
The Prime Minister said: “We Conservatives have a plan for cities because we know they are the beating heart of our country. This bold action will transform 30 more cities – revitalizing their high streets, growing local economies and making people feel proud of the place they call home.
“Labour’s record in government shows they don’t care about cities – ignoring their needs, letting them fall away and focusing on cities instead. Sir Keir Starmer has no plan to unlock opportunities in cities and would take us back to square one. Building on our strong track record of raising standards in Teesside and the Midlands, we will go further across the country to build a secure future for our children and grandchildren.’
Michael Gove, Upgrading Secretary, said: “This bold action will be transformative for cities across the country. This will allow local people to take back control – creating better jobs, improving transport and generating more investment.”
Gove announced at the start of the campaign that he would be withdrawal from parliament in these elections.
Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the Labor Party, said: “Just days ago Rishi Sunak went on a rampage to raise money to fund his teenage father’s army [plans to bring back national service]. Today, he is once again making another reckless commitment to unfunded spending that is sure to be broken as quickly as it was made.
“Everywhere you look, communities up and down the country are feeling the impact of 14 years of Tory decline: closed shops, soaring bills and a widening wage gap with London. Labor will turn the page on the chaos of the Conservatives by boosting growth in every corner of the country, putting more money in people’s pockets and giving them control over what matters.
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