The new Labour government is getting a lot of heat for where it’s choosing to spend money, and people aren’t happy about it.
It looks like most of the big projects like expanding Heathrow Airport, connecting Oxford and Cambridge with a new rail line, and building that new Thames crossing – are all happening down south. Meanwhile, folks up north feel like they’re being left behind… again.
Remember Boris Johnson’s big promise about “levelling up” the country? Well, critics are saying Labour’s already forgetting all about that.
The recent budget announcement was supposed to help the whole country, but many in the north say it’s just more of the same old story – London and the southeast getting all the attention while their communities get empty promises.
Sir Jake Berry, who used to be in charge of northern development for the Conservatives, isn’t holding back. He’s basically saying: “Same old, same old – southern projects get the green light while we’re told to wait our turn.
Even though he admits the Tories weren’t perfect either (that whole HS2 cancellation still stings), he thinks Labour’s plans for northern transport are just reheated versions of what the Conservatives already proposed.
The frustration isn’t just coming from politicians either. Imagine living in a village where seeing a bus is as rare as seeing Santa Claus – that’s the reality some northern communities are describing. One MP joked that when a bus actually shows up in her area, it’s like Christmas came early.
Others point out that under the previous government, places like Teesside actually saw real investment with new freeports and better transport links, but now they’re worried all that progress will stall.
Even within Labour, there are whispers that this approach might backfire. After all, it was northern voters who helped Boris Johnson win last time because they were fed up with being ignored.
Now some are warning that if Labour isn’t careful, they might push those same voters right back to the Conservatives… or even to Reform UK, who are already saying Labour is taking the north for granted.
The government’s response? Basically: “We need to grow the whole economy, and that means building things where they make sense.” But they’re also admitting that the big differences between regions need to be fixed if Britain is really going to move forward together.
At the end of the day, this isn’t just about trains and runways – it’s about whether the government really believes in the whole country or just certain parts of it. And right now, a lot of people up north are feeling like second-class citizens in their own country once again.
