The Midlands money divide: East MPs urge for more 'levelling-up' funds

Ten Conservative MPs from the East Midlands have urged the Prime Minister to get on with pumping more money into the region, or risk a wipe-out at the next general election.

These include areas like Gedling, Mansfield, Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire and Bolsover in Derbyshire which are 'red wall' seats once Labour strongholds which went Conservative in 2019.

The group, led by the Mansfield MP and leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Ben Bradley, made their stark warning in a letter to Number Ten.

The then Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to put more money into these areas as part of his policy of "levelling up" the country.

But now many Conservative MPs in those constituencies say the money's not coming fast enough, and if it doesn't flood in soon, they fear could lose their seats at the next General Election.

Ten of those Tory MPs have sent this letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

In it they say last year, "no region of the UK had less spent on it than the East Midlands".

Now they want the Prime Minister to fast-track the Government's Levelling Up Bill through Parliament by the summer.

Ben Bradley MP says: "We've got the levelling up bill going through the Lords. That's got key mechanisms in it for us to deliver more investment, more growth and opportunities for people in Nottinghamshire so I want to see it done fast.

Ben Bradley MP, Mansfield

Tom Randall MP for Gedling is one of those who signed this letter.

He's defending a wafer-thin majority of less than 700.

So far this area has not one penny in levelling up funding from the Government and his constituents have noticed.

In a statement, the Government told us: "One of the Prime Minister's top priorities is growing the economy to create better-paid jobs and spread opportunity right across the country - levelling up is central to this mission.

"We remain committed to driving forward investment to the areas that need it most, delivering the Levelling Up Bill, and working with local leaders through devolution deals in the East Midlands."