COLUMN: After steadying the ship, we’re now turning a corner​ - Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman

This column is provided by Matt Warman, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Boston and Skegness ...
Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness.Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness.
Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness.

If Jeremy Hunt's first Budget Statement in the autumn was the time to steady the ship, his Budget last week was time to show that the UK economy is turning a corner.

That is what the Chancellor did in the House of Commons, with a package that encompassed more money for potholes, more money for a childcare revolution and perhaps more importantly, an update to show that the UK economy ultimately remains strong.

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Locally, however, the real centrepiece of the Budget: the announcement of Boston’s being chosen as a place for what’s called a Levelling Up Partnership.

This gives the town access to a pot of money of some £400 million, an amount shared with just 20 places.

It was awarded because the Government has confidence in the council in Boston to deliver projects that make a profound difference to local people.

That high regard in Whitehall for the local council is what has led to significant funding for colleges in the Levelling Up fund, for example Boston College, and it’s also based on local engagement in huge projects such as the Boston flood barrier.

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Then very visibly in Blenkin Memorial Hall (just next to the Stump) is another testament to the local council's ability to attract grant funding in a way that hasn’t happened in Boston for a generation.

For me, it is that balance between good economic stewardship and local investment which focuses on the areas where people need it most, that is set to be the hallmark of Rishi Sunak’s government.

I will do all I can to make sure that we deliver on both fronts.