"Levelling Up" is a farce

In South Yorkshire we used to get the highest level of European funding, based on need, i.e. areas with 75% or less of the average European GDP. Other areas of the UK well below the average EU level got money under other programmes.
By Veronica Hardstaff
Published 30th Jan 2023, 07:09 BST
Nick Clegg Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg

The Conservative Government’s alleged “Levelling Up” scheme is based on Local Authorities putting in bids for small projects, and the outcome is that Rishi Sunak’s very wealthy North Yorkshire constituency gets more than the whole of South Yorkshire, Barnsley getting just £10 million.

Our buses are terrible, but the Government turned down our bid to improve them – in fact they are actually going to stop what little money we got during Covid at the end of March!

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Our regional Mayor simply does not have the money to take over the buses.

Councils with many properties in Bands A and B had grant withdrawn by the Coalition (Yes, Nick Clegg – you colluded with it all!). Those with many properties in bands G and H lost no money, and if allowed to put up Council Tax by 4% get in far more money than those with homes mainly in bands A or B.

As a result our councils in South Yorkshire are facing huge deficits in their budgets, having had to make many cuts in services.

The Conservative policy over the last 13 years has been to “level down”. All our public services are in a dreadful state. Libraries are not run by volunteers in wealthier parts of the country.

Also, just what did happen to the £350 million a week we were promised would be put into the National Health Service?

Veronica Hardstaff

Sheffield, S10

Related topics:South YorkshireGDPLevelling UpGovernmentBarnsley