Tories focus on defence instead of much needed investment in northern infrastructure
Barely two days after his election victory, Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, promised a spending bonanza for the north of England. Now it transpires that the first tranche of that money will be spent on developing a “super” defence agency in the north.
According to The Times (28 December) the new defence centre, which will be involved in “cutting edge” research, is set to receive £800 million in funding.
The PM pledged £80 billion funding for infrastructure projects in the north of England to reward the under-developed region for voting Conservative for the first time in generations.
The north of England has traditionally been a Labour party bastion, but many previously solid Labour seats fell to the Tories in the general election as Brexit took its toll.
Compared to the prosperous south, the north of England is relatively impoverished and under-developed, and the Tories appear to realise they need to invest massively in local infrastructure if they are to sustain their recent gains.
However, the initial focus on defence appears to be indicative of misplaced priorities as the people of the north need above all massive investment in key infrastructure, such as transport.
The Guardian reported on August 19 that Londoners are set to receive almost three times more transport spending per person than residents of the north of England.
According to The Guardian, planned transport spending for London will be £2,389 more per head than that of the northern regions.
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