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The Conservatives have pledged to give £20m to 30 towns across the country – a move the Labour Party has branded a “reckless, unfunded commitment”.
Rishi Sunak’s party said it would add the towns – many of which are based in the Midlands and north – to its existing long-term plan for towns, increasing the number that will receive financial support to more than 100.
The Tories said local people in each area would decide how the money would be spent, through new town boards composed of community leaders, businesspeople, local government and the local MP.
The prime minister said the “bold action” would “transform” 30 towns, as he claimed Labour’s record in government “shows they don’t care about towns – “neglecting their needs, allowing them to decline and focusing instead on cities.”
“Sir Keir Starmer has no plan to unlock opportunities in towns and would take us back to square one,” he said.
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“Building on our strong track record of levelling up in Teesside and the Midlands, we will go further across the country to build a secure future for our children and grandchildren.”
Some of the towns proposed to be added to the scheme include Tamworth, Preston, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Corby, Halifax, Bognor Regis, Newtown, Flint, Perth and Newry.
Nearly all are being defended by Tory candidates in this election, with only five being most recently represented by Labour.
The 30 new towns come on top of Mr Sunak’s decision on the eve of Tory party conference to award £20m to 55 “overlooked” towns across the UK over a 10-year period.
A further 20 then formed part of the second tranche, which was announced at the March budget
The Tories said the cost of funding the additional 30 towns would be around £60m per year, which they said was “affordable” under plans to clamp down on tax avoidance.
But Labour argued the funding ringfenced to pay for the…
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