Levelling up agenda in ‘complete disarray’ as plans delayed
Labour has accused the government’s levelling up plans of being “in complete disarray” after ministers delayed the release of a crucial paper.
The prime minister’s flagship plan to narrow the UK’s regional inequalities will not be fleshed out until the release of the government white paper in 2022.
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove had been expected to produce the plan before Christmas.
Labour has accused the government’s levelling up plans of being “in complete disarray” after ministers delayed the release of a crucial paper.
The prime minister’s flagship plan to narrow the UK’s regional inequalities will not be fleshed out until the release of the government white paper in 2022.
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove had been expected to produce the plan before Christmas.
Lisa Nandy, who became the shadow secretary for levelling up, housing and communities in an opposition reshuffle last week, said: “The government’s commitment to level up our communities is in complete disarray.”
She added that “after two years of empty slogans and broken promises, it is now crystal clear ministers haven’t been able to come up with a single new idea to make good on the promises they made to level up our communities beyond more boards, bureaucracy and quangos.”
Under Gove’s plans, swathes of the countryside could elect powerful US-style governors, with an ambition for every part of England to have a local leader with powers equivalent to London’s mayor by the end of the decade.
The Times (£)
The FT (£)
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