Labour planning a change from Tories

THERE was something familiar about Angela Rayner's announcement this week of £1.5billion to be handed out to 75 deprived areas around the country (including 29 in Northern England).

- By ROB PARSONS

A quick Google search reveals the money being doled out and the places that are getting it are exactly the same as in the 'Long Term Plan for Towns, announced by thenPrime Minister Rishi Sunak at the 2023 Tory conference in Manchester.

So what's different about this new scheme, which Labour and Ms Rayner are calling the 'Plan for Neighbourhoods'? The first is that, like the Conservatives' announcement of funding for the TransPennine Route Upgrade last year, the project apparently wasn't properly funded when the Tories originally announced it.

But I'm told the aims of the new plan building thriving places, strengthening communities and empowering people to take back control - are different to the previous vision unveiled by the Tories.