Government plans to shrink the gap between the richest and poorest parts of the UK have been slammed as 'thin gruel' and 'Mission Impossible' by Merseyside leaders.
Today, plans to 'level up' the country were revealed by Michael Gove.
The Government said the plan includes 12 "bold" national missions to achieve by 2030 that will get status in law.
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The missions include “improving well-being in every area” of the UK, a devolution deal for every part of England that wants one, and bringing public transport connectivity across the country “significantly closer to the standards of London”.
But Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, said: “Despite having the best part of two and half years to define ‘levelling up’, this document is severely lacking in fresh ideas and, crucially, new funding to help make anything happen.
“If ‘levelling up’ was supposed to be the Prime Minister’s defining mission then I am sorry to say that it is going to be Mission Impossible with this thin gruel on offer.
“Although there were a few encouraging elements, it is largely a rehashing of things we have already heard before. On the whole, though, it reads like a recipe cooked up during Veganuary – something severely lacking in meat.”
Earlier in the day, Mr Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, appeared to admit there was no new money announced today - with the package instead allocating money already announced in the spending review.
He told the BBC: “You might not always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need."
Asked “is there any new money in this report?”, he replied: “What we're doing is taking the money that's made available to my department and to others in the Spending Review and tilting it."
Elsewhere in Merseyside, there was strong criticism of the plan.
Cllr Graham Morgan, Labour leader of Knowsley Council, said: “Levelling Up, of course, is the right thing to do. But Levelling Up, as it is being implemented by this Government, has quite clearly been nothing more than a slogan so far.
"From what we’ve seen in today’s White Paper, I’m not convinced that is going to change anytime soon.
"Not when the Government seems content in re-announcing the same things over and over again – and certainly not when some of the most affluent areas of the country are still being awarded funding ahead of some of the areas which are most in need. What other conclusion can anybody come to?
He added: "“True “Levelling Up” has to be about more than one off funding allocations. It needs to include long-term permanent funding based on needs. This would allow local areas to focus planned interventions in the areas that would make the greatest impact - jobs, skill, health inequalities to mention a few.
"Local Councils know their areas best and know what would make a real difference. Proper long-term needs-based funding is the answer rather than making local areas fight for time-limited pots of money.“
Alison McGovern, Labour MP for Wirral South, said: “This is smoke and mirrors from the Tories. They have had years to rebalance our economy.
“Their actions, whether it’s cutting our councils to the bone or undermining our plans for better public transport that would have served Merseyside, have done the opposite of rebalancing, so this is little more than smoke and mirrors.
“The bitter irony of hearing Tories blather on about Levelling Up at a time when Wirral Council is having to stomach unpalatable cuts is not lost on me.”
Wirral West MP, Margaret Greenwood, also reflected on the harm she felt government cuts were causing in her constituency.
Ms Greenwood said: "Despite all the government’s talk of levelling up across the country, the facts are clear – the Conservatives slashed central government funding to Wirral Council by 85% between 2010 and 2020.
The Labour MP added: "As a result, Wirral Council’s income was over £100m a year less in 2020 than it was in 2010.”
Birkenhead’s MP wanted “serious money” to be invested in environmentally friendly industries.
Mick Whitley, who was first elected to the seat for Labour in 2019, said: “A real levelling up strategy would put the money lost back into the coffers of these councils.
“If the government did this, Wirral wouldn’t be facing a funding gap of up to £20m and the threat of yet more cuts to the most deprived areas of my town.
“A real levelling up strategy would mean investing serious money in new industries – green industries that could create well paid jobs in our region and help us tackle climate change. Yet there is not a penny for such projects.”
Wirral Council’s leader, Cllr Janette Williamson, said: “'Levelling Up' is meaningless unless it addresses the huge inequalities in local authority finances and allows us to put money where it is most needed in our communities.
“It must deliver significant outcomes to improve people's lives now.”
