Boris Johnson’s plans to ‘level up’ the country were delayed for next year due to claims at Westminster about a lack of ‘cost effective ideas.
Michael Gove, Levelling up Secretary, was due to release a White Paper that outlines the ways in which resources can be redistributed to the Midlands and North.
It is seen as Johnson’s delay-pandemic discharge of the promises made during the 2019 General Election, to maintain the Red Wall seat which was transferred from Labour into Tory.
Michael Gove (the Levelling Up Secretary) was expected to publish a White Paper containing ideas to redistribute resources to the Midlands, North and deprived regions of the Midlands before Christmas.
However, sources said it has been a casualty of the tensions between Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak over the cost of the Prime Minister’s spending plans, with Mr Sunak insisting that the total cost of the projects should be limited to £4.8 billion.
Red Wall MPs are becoming more restive. Many of them worry that problems such as the Channel Migrant Crisis, rising taxes, and higher fuel and energy costs, will result in them losing their votes at next Election.
Sources said that Michael has many ideas, but the Treasury doesn’t want to finance them. We require more efficient ideas.
A source close enough to Gove claimed that the paper wasn’t delayed by a dearth of ideas. The source stated that there are many policies within the paper. It could be done before Christmas but it is more practical to do so in the new year. It’s in great shape. It has been chaired by Michael at least five times.
Labour will likely use the delay to claim that Johnson’s rhetoric about redoubling his efforts to align with policies and Treasury support is not being followed through. Labour leader Sir Keir starmer appointed Wigan MP Lisa Nandy, to replace Mr Gove in last week’s reshuffle.
Experts have compared levelling up with the German government’s drive to reconcile the East-West divide after 1989’s fall of the Berlin Wall. But it took £2 trillion over a quarter of a century to raise living standards in the East from 60 per cent of those in West Germany to 85 per cent.
However, sources said it has been a casualty of the tensions between Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak over the cost of the Prime Minister’s spending plans, with Mr Sunak insisting that the total cost of the projects should be limited to £4.8 billion