Boris Johnson has been accused of "deciding to go on holiday and play with jets" as North East leaders fear for the future of the levelling up agenda.
The outgoing Prime Minister, who was recently pictured donning a pilot’s uniform and flying in a Typhoon fighter, came under fire from Sunderland Council leader Graeme Miller on Tuesday. There have been fears that the impending end of Mr Johnson’s premiership could spell doom for his flagship policy to boost investment in left-behind areas and disrupt negotiations over a new £3bn devolution deal for the North East.
Meanwhile, a new report revealed on Tuesday that per-person public spending in the North has in fact fallen behind the England average since 2019.
