A long-term plan for towns was announced at the Conservative Party Conference
People sometimes ask, ‘what have the Tories ever done for us?’
Let’s consider the facts.
We have delivered better state schools than ever before, with our children the best readers in the western world and more students from state schools at our best universities.
There are more students securing top grades in maths, physics and chemistry – and our universities are the best in Europe and are growing.
We have near record numbers in employment with one million more new jobs, and welfare is simpler, fairer and better targeted.
We have taken hundreds of thousands completely out of income tax and families have many more hours of free childcare.
Since COVID-19, our economy has grown faster than those of France or Germany, no doubt in part thanks to the UK’s fastest vaccine rollout in the world.
Thanks to Conservatives in government, we have stronger defence with two new aircraft carriers, new nuclear submarines and a strengthened NATO.
We have delivered the fastest decarbonisation of any major economy and we are world leaders in offshore wind.
“Our councillors and former councillors are the stars who guide our path forward”
Brexit has been delivered and membership of the world’s fastest growing trade bloc secured. The Union has been strengthened, devolution has been delivered in England and nationalism is in retreat in Scotland.
We need to ensure that every family has a safe, decent warm home and that many more young people can have a home of their own. We’re on track to deliver a million new homes in this Parliament but we need many more.
Our long-term plan for housing will deliver the attractive, affordable new homes that we need in the hearts of towns and cities and on brownfield land.
We will resist the proposals of the Labour Party – and now the Lib Dems too – to build all over the green belt and destroy precious natural habitats.
We can deliver a beautiful built environment and an enhanced natural environment. And by investing and building in our cities and towns we will power the regeneration of communities overlooked and undervalued in the past.
Across the North of England, across the Midlands, across the whole of our United Kingdom, it is Conservatives who are levelling up, bringing high- quality jobs and high-tech companies to communities the length and breadth of the country.
So I was delighted to announce at conference our £1.1 billion long-term plan for 55 great British towns.
The £20 million, 10-year endowment-style fund for each town will empower communities across the UK to take back control of their future.
Funding will be spent on local people’s priorities: reviving high streets, tackling antisocial behaviour, improving transport and growing the local economy.
Councils will be integral to the success of our Long-Term Plan for Towns, and I look forward to working with all of you in this endeavour to level up across the UK.
I want to thank everyone who serves in local government: our councillors and former councillors are the stars who guide our path forward, the local heroes who are responsible for thousands of acts of kindness and leadership every day.
Our councillors remind us that we win as a team – and as a team we have so much more to do to deliver Conservative victory at the next election, but together we can.