LEVELLING UP FUNDING LIKELY TO FALL SHORT

I challenged the UK Government on the inadequate levels of funding being provided for one of its so-called flagship policies.

It is disgraceful that the Scottish Government’s budget has been cut to create the Levelling Up Fund in Scotland, thereby putting spending on devolved areas in the hands of civil servants in Whitehall instead. However, with over 300 bids submitted from across the UK by local councils for Levelling Up funds, it is not clear whether there will be money available for future rounds of bidding. Therefore, rather than money going where it may be most needed, it could well go to those local councils who submit the earliest bids.

I therefore asked how the UK Government will ensure that sufficient funding will be made available for later rounds of this funding or will it simply run out of cash in later rounds of bidding?

Watch the exchange below 👇