Politics
Kate Plummer
Feb 03, 2022
Independent
The UK government have finally unveiled their much-awaited Levelling Up plan.
Speaking to Sky News' Kay Burley ahead of the drop of the 332-page document, levelling up secretary Michael Gove waxed lyrical about the 12 step plan that will make the world amazing by 2030, apparently; said that people in the North and the Midlands have been "overlooked and undervalued for years by politicians" and that the government's blueprint will bring prosperity "to all parts" of the UK.
Now that's all very galvanising and a shame that he sees these areas as having been "overlooked and undervalued" but what party has been in power in various forms for "years" - around 12 in fact?
Ah, that's right - the Conservative Party.
Lisa Nandy, shadow secretary for levelling up pointed this out when she responded to Gove in the commons and called the document "smoke and mirrors".
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Ministers have had twelve years to get levelling up right and all we had today was more slogans. No ideas, no energy, no ambition. If we\u2019ve learnt one thing \u2013 for all the spin and the gloss \u2013 the Tories won\u2019t deliver it. Labour will.pic.twitter.com/3sPzLS9A5F— Lisa Nandy (@Lisa Nandy) 1643826209
For all the talk of levelling up, we have been completely shortchanged-again. After 12 yrs all we\u2019ve got is a list of 12 things the Government has failed to achieve- no new money or powers. Here\u2019s what Labour would do to rebuild our local economies & give ppl choices & chances:— Lisa Nandy (@Lisa Nandy) 1643804332
"What we've got is a series of rehashed announcements, some of which are so old they were actually originally made by Gordon Brown when he was Labour prime minister in 2008," she told Burley.
Nevertheless, the Tories are very chuffed with their plan to improve the UK which includes pressing for more devolution, increasing the number of first-time house buyers, providing skills-training for more people and rolling out 5G (just don't tell the conspiracy theorists about that one).
The irony of Gove's statement wasn't lost on many people.
this Tory administration has been in power in various guises since 2010pic.twitter.com/MYJsoHaGV6— Jim Pickard (@Jim Pickard) 1643805336
BY WHO, MICHAELpic.twitter.com/G3vGPYEcZ5— James Felton (@James Felton) 1643796580
Which party has been overlooking and undervaluing the Midlands and the North, Mr Gove?pic.twitter.com/4pmQ9XGjOf— Shrewsbury Greens (@Shrewsbury Greens) 1643817319
Gove confirms that Tories have always ignored North and Midlands.https://twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1488816883885395970\u00a0\u2026— Mark Kent (@Mark Kent) 1643799926
Thanks anyway, Michael.
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