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Rishi Sunak boasts about taking money from ‘deprived urban areas’ to give to wealthy towns
His comments have been slammed as ‘scandalous’ by MPs
Rishi Sunak was seen boasting about diverting funding from ‘deprived urban areas’ to wealthy towns in a newly unearthed video.
In the clip, which was obtained and released by The New Statesman today, the former chancellor can be seen proudly telling Conservative members that he had started changing public funding formulas to ensure more affluent towns receive ‘the funding they deserve’.
During the meeting, which is said to have taken place last week in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Sunak was heard saying: “I managed to start changing the funding formulas to make sure areas like this are getting the funding they deserve.
“Because we inherited a bunch of formulas from Labour that shoved all the funding into deprived urban areas and that needed to be undone.
“I started the work of undoing that.”
Sunak’s comments have been met with an overwhelming wave of backlash from both Conservative and Labour MPs alike, with the shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy slamming them as ‘scandalous’.
Nandy tweeted: “This is scandalous. Rishi Sunak is openly boasting that he fixed the rules to funnel taxpayers’ money to rich Tory shires This is our money.
“It should be spent fairly and where it’s most needed – not used as a bribe to Tory members. Talk about showing your true colours…”.
Tory MP Jake Berry also condemned the remarks as he attacked Mr Sunak’s leadership campaign, tweeting: “In public @RishiSunak claims he wants to level up the North, but here, he boasts about trying to funnel vital investment away from deprived areas?
“He says one thing and does another – from putting up taxes to trying to block funding for our armed forces and now levelling up.”
However, a source for Sunak’s prime ministerial campaign did not dispute the video and instead defended it.
They said: “Levelling up isn’t just about city centres, it’s also about towns and rural areas all over the country that need help too. That’s what he changed in the green book and he will follow though as prime minister.
“Travelling around the country, he’s seen non-metropolitan areas that need better bus services, faster broadband or high quality schools. That’s what he’ll deliver as prime minister.”
A vote among the Conservative Party’s membership will choose either Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss as the next prime minister. This will be announced on September 5th.