Boris Johnson's key levelling up and northern powerhouse ministers have met just five times in the last two years, raising questions over how seriously the government takes the policy.
ChronicleLive can exclusively reveal that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who has cabinet responsibility for the northern powerhouse, met with Simon Clarke when he was minister for levelling up in 2019 - but failed to meet his successor Luke Hall, who was in post from September 2020 to September 2021, at all.
Mr Shapps also failed to convene any official meetings with Kemi Badenoch, who previously had responsibility for the northern powerhouse at the Treasury.
Read more: Boris Johnson praises Peppa Pig and loses place in bizarre speech to North East leaders
The prime minister has made levelling up the key aim of his premiership, promising in 2019 to get Britain "firing on all cylinders".
More than two years on, we have a Department for Levelling Up, but we are still waiting on the publication of a detailed plan.
The Liberal Democrats' levelling up spokesman Tim Farron said the lack of meetings between key players in government showed Mr Johnson wasn't serious .
The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP said: “The fact that the Transport Secretary has barely met with the levelling up ministers is symbolic of a Government that talk a good game about delivering for the North but in reality forget that we even exist.
“But I guess when you’ve decided to break your manifesto promises by no longer going ahead with both Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Eastern leg of HS2 then there’s not much left to discuss.”
Labour’s shadow local government secretary Steve Reed added: “This news won’t give voters who feel their areas have been ignored any reassurance that the Conservatives are doing anything to address regional inequalities.
“If the Great Train Robbery and Social Care Con have shown us anything, it’s that this Government over promises and under-delivers, led by a Prime Minister who is quickly finding out he can’t government by slogan.”
A Government spokesman said: “We are committed to levelling up all parts of the UK and a forthcoming White Paper will soon set out bold new policies to drive prosperity and opportunity in The North.
“To help move this work forward, the Government has established the new Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as well as a dedicated taskforce.
“The entire Cabinet is responsible for ensuring we deliver regional growth, and there is constant collaboration between all departments to ensure this commitment is met.”
ChronicleLive's freedom of information request was submitted to the Department for Transport in August, pre-dating the creation of the Department for Levelling Up.
The same request was submitted to the Treasury, who deemed the information "exempt".
