03/02/2022 – Update!
After the long awaited white paper was published Jim said,
“After all the fanfare, it turns out the Levelling Up white paper is as empty as the slogan. It brings no new money, and no new powers. These are recycled policies cobbled together to try and save a Prime Minister who has gone well past his use by date.”
“Real Levelling Up can only be delivered by local communities and local leaders. So it beggars belief that Michael Gove is planning to create more unelected regional ‘directors’ that will answer to ministers in Whitehall, not communities on the ground.”
“But the glaring hole in this paper is that there is no plan to reverse the decade of damage caused by repeated government cuts to local communities. Government funding to local councils fell by over 50% in real terms since 2010, causing lasting damage to public services and the fabric of our towns and cities. The limited pots of money that ministers have released in recent years have barely scratched the side.”
“Overall, this is a terrible missed opportunity. Labour leaders across the UK have been doing everything in their power to bring security and prosperity to their towns and cities. For years we have been asking for powers and resources we ned to deliver for local people. Once again, the government have let us all down.”
02/02/2022 – Jim McMahon, Labour Member of Parliament for Oldham West and Royton has backed five tests set from Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up Lisa Nandy, which the Government’s Levelling Up plan must deliver in order to deliver on the promises of the 2019 election.
Talking about why these tests are important Jim McMahon MPpointed to new research from Labour has revealed that areas virtually every area of England (95%) has received less in funding on average since 2018 than they received from regional development funds, such as the Towns Fund.
In Oldham, local Settlement Funding has reduced in real terms by £58m since 2018, while successful bids through the Towns Fund only totalled £24m, showing a £34m real-terms loss for the area since the Government’s levelling up agenda was announced.
The research found that in England 144 local authority areas were still worse off by approximately £50 million on average after receiving Levelling Up funding.
Setting out the tests last Sunday, Ms Nandy said “It simply will not be good enough to give us more of the same –pots of our money to scrap over – without real power on what it’s spent on or a few new mayors. We need to change the settlement of our country back in favour of those who built it.”
“For levelling up to truly deliver on this promise, the Government must meet the ambitions people have for our own communities, specifically, this means:
1. Good jobs in our home towns, so young people have choices and chances and don’t have to get out to get on.
2. Our high streets are thriving because the local economy is thriving, with good local businesses and money in people’s pockets – not just papering over the cracks.
3. Our towns and villages are better connected to jobs, opportunities, our family and our friends through good transport, digital infrastructure and affordable housing that we have too often missed out on.
4. We get the power to take local decisions for ourselves – ending the system where we have to go cap in hand to Westminster to do things we know will work for us.
5. Our town centres are safe and welcoming instead of plagued by anti-social behaviour, with criminals being let off and victims let down.”
Jim McMahon, Member of Parliament for Oldham West and Royton, said:
“While the Government is distracted cleaning up the Prime Minister’s scandals, they aren’t governing and they aren’t delivering for Oldham West and Royton.
“With these tests, we will see if the Government really intend match the ambition we have forour communities with the power and resources we are owed. A few pots of money to scrap over or some new tiers of bureaucracy won’t cut it.
“We need to change the settlement of our country back in favour of those who built it. That means growing our economy, and ensuring jobs and opportunities are spread fairly across the country so that young people in Chadderton, Oldham and Royton don’t have to get out to get on.”
Jim McMahon OBE MP 