The government has unveiled its flagship plan to 'level up' the country.
Long-promised plans to close the gap between rich and poor parts of the country have been revealed by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove.
But the plans have been slammed as 'devoid of new ideas' and containing 'no new money'.
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The Government said the plan includes 12 "bold" national missions to achieve by 2030 that will get status in law.
They include “improving well-being in every area” of the UK, a devolution deal for every part of England that wants one, and brining public transport connectivity across the country “significantly closer to the standards of London”.
But Labour said all of pledges so far have been "recycled pots of money" and "not what we were promised".
And Mr Gove 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."
So what are the 12 'missions', the government says will level up the country?
This is what the plan states:
1. By 2030, pay, employment and productivity will have risen in every area of the UK, with each containing a globally competitive city, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.
2. By 2030, domestic public investment in Research & Development outside the Greater South East will increase by at least 40% and at least one third over the Spending Review period, with that additional government funding seeking to leverage at least twice as much private sector investment over the long term to stimulate innovation and productivity growth.
3. By 2030, local public transport connectivity across the country will be significantly closer to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing.
4. By 2030, the UK will have nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage, with 5G coverage for the majority of the population.
5. By 2030, the number of primary school children achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths will have significantly increased. In England, this will mean 90% of children will achieve the expected standard, and the percentage of children meeting the expected standard in the worst performing areas will have increased by over a third.
6. By 2030, the number of people successfully completing high-quality skills training will have significantly increased in every area of the UK. In England, this will lead to 200,000 more people successfully completing high-quality skills training annually, driven by 80,000 more people completing courses in the lowest skilled areas.
7. By 2030, the gap in Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) between local areas where it is highest and lowest will have narrowed, and by 2035 HLE will rise by 5 years.
8. By 2030, well-being will have improved in every area of the UK, with the gap between top performing and other areas closing.
9. By 2030, pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.
10. By 2030, renters will have a secure path to ownership with the number of first-time buyers increasing in all areas; and the government’s ambition is for the number of non-decent rented homes to have fallen by 50%, with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas.
11. By 2030, homicide, serious violence, and neighbourhood crime will have fallen, focused on the worst-affected areas.
12. By 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution and a simplified, long-term funding settlement.
Responding to the announcement, Labour's Shadow Levelling Up Secretary, Lisa Nandy, said: "Ministers have had two and a half years to get this right and all we been given is more slogans and strategies, with few new ideas.
"Boris Johnson's answer to our communities calling for change is to shuffle the deckchairs - new government structures, recycled pots of money and a small refund on the money this Government have taken from us. This is not what we were promised. We deserve far more ambition this.
"High streets will only thrive when people have money in their pockets to spend. We need good jobs, decent wages, genuinely affordable housing and action to deal with the unfolding cost of living crisis so people can spend on their high streets and young people no longer have to get out to get on.
"We've had enough slogans, it's time to deliver."
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