'Boost left-behind towns', MP urges Chancellor Reeves

CAMPAIGNING MP Andy MacNae has taken his call for the government to boost investment in East Lancashire's "left-behind" towns direct to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

- BY BILL JACOBS Local Democracy Reporting Service

The Rossendale and Darwen Labour backbencher staged a special debate in Parliament's second Westminster Hall chamber on 'Rebalancing Regional Economies'.

In it he called for towns in his constituency including Bacup, Whitworth, Rawtenstall and Darwen to receive extra Whitehall cash to thrive and prosper saying that for too long they had been “at the back of the queue and left behind”.

At Treasury Questions on Tuesday he took the issue direct to Mrs Reeves and called for an urgent revision of the government’s Green Book guidance on how the value of Westminster's investment in major projects is assessed.

Mr MacNae asked the Chancellor: “What steps are you taking to increase levels of funding for northern towns?”