One of the more troubling aspects of the Stronger Towns Fund (We won’t be bribed, Labour MPs warn May as £1.6bn goes to struggling towns, 4 March) is that over a third will only be available through a bidding process. Putting together a bid is an expensive and time-consuming business, and not every town has the resources to do it well. It also pitches communities against each other in a competition to see who is the most deserving. In a review of New Labour’s education action zones, for example, I found that (in order to even get on the shortlist) local authorities were encouraged to describe themselves as being in the greatest need and (by association) as having failed their communities more than others in the competition. In this way bidding wars construct and amplify the belief that some communities are failing while others are coping brilliantly.
Like penitents at confession, they have to admit to their sins and to beg forgiveness of a higher power. Central government is absolved of its own responsibilities and uses the whole exercise as another stick to beat them with. Areas who don’t receive funding are told that they clearly don’t need it. While successful bidders get inadequate support and continue a downward spiral: “We said you were rubbish. You proved it was true. We’ve given you more money. You’re still rubbish. So now we’re taking away your autonomy.” Thankfully MPs across the spectrum are already seeing through this cynical ploy.
Rob Watling
Nottingham
• Some have commented that the timing of this £1.6bn announcement, one week before a critical Brexit vote, represents a bribe. Or perhaps the timing is aimed at preventing a proper analysis before the Brexit vote. To start with, you need to read the small print: the £1.6bn is a one-off payment and spread over six years. And it does not compare favourably with the funding that UK regions receive from the EU: a report from Sheffield University shows that the UK regions over seven years (2014-20) are receiving €10.8bn (ERDF plus ESF funding). Why can’t the government fully replace the EU regional payments? Because of the cost of Brexit which, in terms of reduced taxation income due to lost GDP growth, exceeds our contribution to the EU. We are not getting a bribe, we are being robbed.
Mr Giuseppe Enrico Bignardi
Durham
• It is crucial that none of us are fooled by the so-called Stronger Towns Fund. The £197m proposed for Yorkshire and the Humber is about £37 per person, or £5.30 in each of the seven years the fund will be paid. The annual payment would be about 0.02% of the regional economy’s annual GDP. The government’s own analysis shows that Brexit will cut the region’s economy by between 1.5% and 7% over 15 years.
Andy Buck
Sheffield
• £25m, the total allocated to the East of England, would build one small secondary school. Safe to say we won’t be holding any street parties.
Toby Wood
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
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