The fund will invest £3.6 billion into places like Peterborough, Blackpool, Barrow, Torquay, Darlington, Norwich and Warrington. The bid for investment in Peterborough is one of the first seven successful bids as part of phase 1. We have already had £1 million for a shovel-ready local growth project to support 14 parks across the city, but it will deliver nearly £23 million of investment for my city overall.

Given that 60 of the 61 towns allocated funding were Conservative-held or Conservative target seats, surely it is the hon. Gentleman’s party that has made it party political.

Britain’s lop-sided economy has left many of our towns feeling abandoned as we centralise and deindustrialise our economy. Towns have been left behind by gigantic global capital flows driven by a new phase of capitalism and by a political elite operating in the interests of capitalism, rather than of those communities.

McCartney emphasises the positive impact of his time as Member of Parliament for Lincoln, highlighting improvements such as prosperous universities, better train links to London, and infrastructure developments. He supports Lincoln's bid for the towns fund to continue fostering growth, prosperity, and employment opportunities.

Huq criticises the towns fund as a politically motivated initiative that fails to address London's needs. She points out the lack of transparency in its distribution process, with criteria being vague and seemingly benefiting Conservative target seats more than others. She highlights social issues in her constituency such as housing and social care crises, high child poverty rates, and increasing food bank use.

Griffiths speaks positively about the Burton town deal board's plans for economic growth in Burton-on-Trent. She mentions specific projects such as a regional learning hub and improvements to town centre living with better walking, cycling routes, and riverside areas. She also advocates for regeneration opportunities in Uttoxeter, focusing on community spaces, leisure facilities, healthcare access, and the project B upgrade to A50 junction.

St Helens has faced economic challenges due to austerity, but the town deal fund is a good thing. The UK economy is highly unbalanced, and St Helens seeks investment in green and global initiatives like Glass Futures research facility.

Blyth Valley received £11.12 million from the future high streets fund for town centre improvements. The towns fund offers opportunities to regenerate communities, with projects such as Blyth marketplace and Bowes Street improvement set to start soon.

The Labour party supports funding for towns but emphasises transparency. Barnsley has faced significant cuts, with 60 out of 61 funded areas in Conservative-held or target seats. Recovery requires investment in training and fair universal credit support.

Harlow has received various investments but remains the second most-deprived area in Essex. The towns fund bid aims to address infrastructure issues, improve connectivity, and regenerate Staple Tye neighbourhood centre. Harlow seeks fair funding after losing out on £10.4 million.

Castleford has put in a bid to the towns fund, aiming to regenerate its town centre, reconnect with the riverside, support local jobs, restore historical buildings like Kingdom Hall, and invest in Queen’s Mill. The bid seeks to boost local skills by setting up an adult skills centre through collaboration with the Castleford Tigers Foundation. Cooper highlights that over the past decade, job growth rates and business growth rates in towns have been half those of cities, exacerbated by austerity measures.

Welcomes bids from Scunthorpe and Goole; thanks Joseph Richardson for chairing Goole's bid board and Peter Campey from MHCLG for his advice. The bid covers digital improvements, town centre regeneration, leisure enhancements, connectivity upgrades, and flood protection projects. Percy highlights Siemens' rail factory construction in Goole as a positive development but notes ongoing challenges such as hollowed-out town centres and college closures.

Raises concerns about the lack of transparency and impartiality in the towns fund decision-making process, citing Billingham's exclusion despite fitting the criteria. Criticises the Government for not explaining why some areas were passed over while others received funding. Argues that existing data should be used to provide investment directly without further bidding processes.

Praises Scunthorpe's bid for the towns fund, highlighting its strong council and ambitious projects like a free port application. Proposes advanced manufacturing parks, cultural arts centres, and lifelong skills integration to diversify industry resilience. Expresses enthusiasm for levelling-up goals and Scunthorpe's strategic location.

Welcomes £22 million allocated to Warrington from the fund but criticises it as insufficient for long-term funding needs. Highlights cuts in core local authority funding and the impact of the pandemic on council finances. Calls for a more holistic approach, stressing the need for long-term funding and specific projects such as hospital funding and leisure facility restoration.

Praises the allocation of £39.5 million to Blackpool from the towns fund, emphasising its role in regeneration and job creation. Acknowledges disappointment over a lack of funds from the future high streets fund due to deficiencies in the bid criteria. Welcomes direct MP input into the levelling-up fund for proposals like reopening Blackpool airport.

Expresses concerns over transparency and inequality in funding distribution, calling for support measures that benefit all communities rather than a winners and losers approach. Advocates for changes to business rates, commercial leases, and local authority funding to aid town centre revival post-pandemic.

Celebrates the success of the Bridgwater town fund, praising local community involvement in decision-making. Criticises Somerset County Council for its perceived incompetence and lack of constructive contribution to the town board. Emphasises Bridgwater's economic contributions and the positive impact of the towns fund.

No Labour MP will oppose greater funding for local authorities, as they recognise the vital work done by them. However, the towns fund scheme is deeply flawed due to inadequate funding, lack of transparency and fairness in allocation, and political bias favouring Conservative-held constituencies over more deprived areas. The £3.6 billion fund is a mere drop compared to the £15 billion in cuts to local authorities over the past decade. Many deserving towns have been left out while others receive funds for projects unrelated to urgent needs.

Welcomes Royal Leamington Spa receiving £10 million from the towns fund, but criticises the overall scheme for being politically motivated rather than based on need. Points out that over £15 billion has been cut from local authorities while only £3.6 billion was given back through the towns fund. Questions the fairness of allocating funds to constituencies where there are political connections, such as Darwen and Newark.

Defends the towns fund scheme as a successful Conservative policy targeting investment at communities that have been left behind. Highlights positive developments in his constituency like the Tees Valley free port bid and regeneration of Teesworks sites. Acknowledges some criticism but dismisses it, arguing that Labour is not supporting the effort to level up communities.

Submitted the investment plan for Truro to the Department, thanked the town fund board members for their work. Emphasised Truro's historical significance as a trading capital and its current role in Cornwall's economy with 30,000 employees mainly in public sector jobs. Outlined plans to reinvigorate waterfront spaces, create sustainable transport solutions, repurpose vacant buildings, and establish an active leisure attraction. Aims to future-proof Truro for generations.

Welcomed the towns fund as a policy accelerating levelling-up agenda in Wolverhampton, where her city bid awaits approval. Highlighted collaboration between council and local businesses despite political divisions elsewhere. Mentioned £16 million from future high streets fund and £15 million for national brownfield institute already invested. Pushed for wider regeneration including Bilston and Wednesfield.

Raised concerns about the towns fund being politicized, citing examples of target Tory seats receiving funds before election. Criticised lack of transparency in selection process for town deals based on need and potential development. Highlighted Public Accounts Committee report questioning rationales behind fund distribution. Demanded assurances regarding shared prosperity fund's impartiality and respect for devolution settlement.

The Government like to talk about levelling up the country, but sadly their record shows they have done the precise opposite. Since they were first elected in 2010, the Conservative Government have imposed £15 billion-worth of cuts on local authorities, and they did not share the pain equally either. The 10 poorest council areas have faced cuts 18 times bigger than the 10 richest, as the Government embedded inequality. Initially, the Conservatives’ failed ideological austerity stalled Britain’s economic recovery after the global financial crash. Last year, they left the country so woefully unprepared for the covid-19 pandemic that we are now suffering the highest death rate in Europe and the deepest recession of any major economy. Right now, many of our towns and high streets are at breaking point. After a decade of Conservative cuts and now the recession, they are on their last legs. Councils cannot support high street businesses because the Government have left councils with a £2.5 billion funding black hole, after breaking their promise to compensate them fully for the costs of tackling covid-19. Conservative changes to planning rules allow developers to convert shops into low-quality flats, so that they can never reopen as shops again, creating dead zones on our high streets. Now the Government plan to choke off spending on the hope of rapid economic recovery by forcing council tax rises on families already struggling to pay the bills in these unprecedented times.

The Towns Fund is a cornerstone of the levelling-up agenda, providing investment in towns that were neglected for years under previous Labour Governments. It has been inspiring to see communities work together on town deals which are reversing the trend of investment focusing only on big cities. The Government is investing in infrastructure and cultural assets that will benefit communities for years to come. He also addressed Labour MPs' criticisms, stating that most towns selected are in Opposition-held council areas. Additionally, he mentioned future high streets investments including £107 million for heritage high street regeneration.

Disagreed with the Minister's statement that most towns selected are in Opposition-held areas. She pointed out that 60 out of 61 towns were in Conservative-held or target seats, and her constituency of Barnsley had experienced significant cuts.

Asked the Minister to look sympathetically at Burnley’s bid when the competitive round of the Towns Fund opens, as they have ambitious plans not only for Burnley town centre but also for Padiham.