No extra new cash needed to deliver on levelling up promises, claims Michael Gove

Michael Gove has insisted there is enough money to deliver on the Government's levelling up ambitions following a warning from Tory mayor Ben Houchen about the need for tangible results.

It has previously been reported that the Government will not be making any new funding available to deliver on the policy programme due to be set out in Mr Gove's Levelling Up White Paper, which is due to be published this month.

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has written in The Times warning the Government it has to visibly deliver on the levelling up agenda to retain the support of Red Wall voters.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Houchen said: "Before the next election comes around people need to see with their eyes concrete evidence that they were right to back this government. Voters are also realists — they know that levelling up is not something that will be delivered in just a year or two, it will be a decades long project.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael GoveLevelling Up Secretary Michael Gove
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove

"But they do need to see progress, and this means steel going up to deliver new factories, spades in the ground for new energy infrastructure, and cranes in action as new bridges are built out over waters. These are all the visible signs that people need to see to bring confidence that real, lasting, progress is being made."

Mr Gove insisted on the BBC's Today programme that this was possible without further funding beyond what has already been announced.

"The amount of public spending already committed in the Spending Review is higher than any government has committed to public spending in history," he said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“And those budgets, both the budget in my department but also in the Department for Education, in DWP, in the Department of Health and so on, that budget is there to be used, deployed and allocated to support levelling up.”

He added: “My budget was increased, and increased significantly, in the Spending Review and it’s as a result of that that we’ll be able to devote additional expenditure.”

Mr Gove said: “We’ve committed to the public spending required in order to generate economic growth, and as we will in due course get that economic growth, we will also in due course cut taxes.”

He added: “One of the things I think everyone – certainly everyone from the Conservative Party, but I think actually, most people in politics – would agree is if we can have every part of the United Kingdom operating as effectively economically as London and the South East currently do, that provides not just opportunity for more individuals, it also provides more for the Exchequer as well.”

Read more:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you'll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers. Click here to subscribe.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.