Levelling up plans do not go far enough for West Yorkshire

2 February 2022

Mayor says Government levelling up plans do not go far enough for West Yorkshire

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, has welcomed the commitment to levelling up in today’s Government White Paper, but expressed frustration that the plans do not go far enough to truly make a difference to the lives of people in our region.

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, said:

“It’s positive that the Government recognises the urgent need to level up across the nation but the money it promises is nowhere near enough. The long-term ambitions of the strategy are welcome, but we need to see action and delivery now, not just by 2030.

There’s lots of ambition, lots of hope, but Mayors and local leaders need enough funding, and the tools to do the job to improve the lives and livelihoods of people in our region.

Our talent and potential can match anywhere in the country, but the ambitions of today’s White Paper need to be backed up by further commitments from the Treasury.

The Government have made countless promises over the last decade to strengthen regional economies. We’ve had the Northern Powerhouse, we’ve had local industrial strategies, all of which have asked local areas to chop and change their priorities.

The test for this White Paper will be whether they deliver on their promises to empower local leaders, simplify funding, and give us the freedoms and flexibilities we need to deliver for our communities.”

To truly level up, West Yorkshire needs:

• Funding for a modern public transport system including an effective, London-style bus network that properly connects communities with jobs and opportunities. We have submitted a £1bn bid to achieve our ambitions for bus services.
• Long-term funding to support jobs growth, regeneration and new infrastructure, to give the region certainty and security.
• The end of ‘beauty contests’ where regions are pitched against each other to bid in competition for small amounts of short-term funding
• A foundation of strong, well-funded public services
• More investment in innovation and the green economy
• More pounds in people’s pockets and support to boost people’s incomes.