Jarrow MP sets out 'five tests' to ensure levelling-up works for South Tyneside

It comes after Ministers set out plans this week to improve education in South Tyneside, and announced a new Justice Collaboration Centre in Jarrow to bring civil service jobs to the area.

Jarrow MP Kate Osborne said Labour’s Shadow Levelling-Up Secretary Lisa Nandy had set out five tests to ensure efforts delivered for areas such as South Tyneside.

She said Labour research showed virtually every area of England has received less in funding on average since 2018 than they received from regional development funds.

Ms Osborne said in South Tyneside there has been £43million real-terms loss since the Government’s levelling-up agenda was announced in 2018.

The research found 144 local authority areas in England were still worse off by approximately £50million on average after receiving Levelling Up funding.

Ms Nandy’s five tests are:

1. Good jobs in home-towns, so young people have choices and chances and don’t have to get out to get on.

2. High streets thriving because the local economy is thriving, with good local businesses and money in people’s pockets.

3. Towns and villages are better connected to jobs, opportunities, our family and our friends through good transport, digital infrastructure and affordable housing that we have too often missed out on.

4. Power to take local decisions instead of going ‘cap in hand to Westminster’.

5. Town centres are safe and welcoming instead of plagued by antisocial behaviour.

Ms Osborne said: “While the Government is distracted cleaning up the Prime Minister’s scandals, they aren’t governing and they aren’t delivering for the Jarrow constituency.

“With these tests, we will see if the Government really intend match the ambition we have for our communities with the power and resources we are owed. A few pots of money to scrap over or some new tiers of bureaucracy won’t cut it.

“We need to change the settlement of our country back in favour of those who built it. That means growing our economy, and ensuring jobs and opportunities are spread fairly across the country so that young people in the Jarrow constituency don’t have to get out to get on.”

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