Angela Rayner accuses Tories of underestimating North as she makes economy vow

29 February 2024 , 22:30

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Angela Rayner will set out Labour's plans to boost towns and cities in the North of England (Image: Julian Hamilton/Sunday Mirror)

Angela Rayner will accuse the Tories of underestimating North for far too long as she unveils plans to turbocharge the economy in all corners of Britain.

Labour’s Deputy Leader will vow to give communities the power to make decisions on skills training, housing and planning. In a speech at the Convention of the North in Leeds on Friday, she will warn that ministers have “failed to give northern towns and cities the tools or opportunity to live up to their best potential”.

Data obtained by Labour suggests that Leeds would bring in an extra £13billion for the economy if it was as productive as comparable cities in France such as Lyon, Toulouse and Marseille.

Ms Rayner will say: “For too long, the Tories have underestimated the North. It was the workers of the North who built the places we call home with their own hands. But under the Tories, the places that once built Britain get nothing but the crumbs from the table - and are told to be grateful for it.

“Under a Labour government, it will be the bricklayers, the bus drivers and the mechanics that level up the North and give us our renaissance. But those workers and the North as a whole will have a voice. That means Mayors and council leaders at the table, and Ministers in every department making sure local voices are represented at the heart of government.”

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Ms Rayner will argue that Labour’s plan to decarbonise industry in Merseyside, Teesside and the Humber will create more than 130,000 new jobs in the North alone. “We will deliver passenger focused, publicly owned rail for the North, including building connectivity between Liverpool and Hull and across the North,” she will add.

“And we will be laser focused on kick-starting growth everywhere to raise living standards and fund strong public services across the country. As Deputy Prime Minister of the North, I will fight to the bitter end for its future.”

John Stevens