Levelling up’s winners and losers

Even as an exercise in winning favour with voters, the policy seems shaky, says Sean O’Grady

Rishi Sunak pictured in Accrington on Thursday (WPA Rota)

Ministers have just disbursed some £2bn in the latest tranche of funding for levelling-up projects, as part of the overall £4.8bn programme. Rishi Sunak has promised that the spending will be “transformative”. The details of the announcement have been met with mixed reviews.

Who is going to get the money?

A variety of schemes, including a northern Eden Project in Morecambe worth £50m, a new primates and conservation research centre at Twycross Zoo worth £19m, and converting the Old Town Hall in Whithorn, Galloway into a social enterprise training centre for £300,000. The money is scattered far and wide.