Communities Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh’s dismissive attack on Boris Johnson’s so-called “Levelling Up” pledge exposes the sham that this Government’s supposed commitment to rebuilding our neglected communities is nothing more than empty rhetoric. As she launched the £5 billion, 10-year Pride in Place programme—a misguided attempt to cloak years of Conservative austerity under a new veneer—she revealed the true priority: spin over substance. The initiative’s focus on empowering local neighbourhood boards sounds promising in theory, but in reality, it’s another hollow promise designed to paper over the crumbling infrastructure left behind by Conservative mismanagement.
Fahnbulleh’s comments in the Commons painted a bleak picture: 14 years of Tory governance have devastated local services, gutting community institutions and plunging towns into decline. Their “levelling up” promises turned out to be nothing more than political spin, failing to address the root causes of inequality. Instead, what we’ve seen are cut after cut, with communities left to fend for themselves while the Conservatives blame “complex challenges” they have failed to confront. This government’s failure to deliver meaningful change highlights how hollow Tory rhetoric about “levelling up” truly is—a cynical ploy to win votes while communities suffer.
The sceptics, like Conservative shadow minister David Simmonds, dismiss the Pride in Place programme as little more than rebranded initiatives from a government that has consistently underfunded local authorities. Simmonds’ criticisms about rising council taxes and bureaucratic funding models reveal what many already know: funding is scarce, and far too often governments prefer to funnel cash through convoluted channels that insulate political elites from real community needs. Far from empowering neighborhoods, this approach merely delayed the inevitable: policies that have consistently failed to meet their promises.
Fahnbulleh’s sharp rebuttal—accusing Conservatives of “denuding” local institutions and falsely claiming Labour’s approach is targeted at deprived communities—rings hollow in light of the decade-long neglect that has eroded these very foundations of local democracy. Labour’s focus on objective metrics like deprivation indices is a pragmatic attempt to address the systemic failures of Conservative neglect, exposing the real priorities of a government more interested in propaganda than genuine progress. Labour MP Navendu Mishra’s description of the previous “levelling up” agenda as “levelling down” is a stark reminder of the failure of Conservative policies that have increased inequality and distrust in government.
The political landscape is shifting—I.e., Angela Rayner’s recent move to strip “Levelling Up” from her departmental portfolio reflects this new reality. The Labour government’s conscious decision to abandon the empty slogans of the past underscores their focus on actual results, not political showmanship. Meanwhile, Conservative MPs’ concerns over oversight and accountability—criticised as an attempt to shield failed policies—confirm their inability to deliver on promises. Fahnbulleh’s assurance that neighbourhood boards maintain control is little more than an attempt to deflect scrutiny, given that their track record shows a pattern of mismanagement and waste.
In sum, the Pride in Place initiative is yet another attempt by this Labour government to rebrand failure as progress—hoping to hide the fact that their “collaborative” approach is just more of the same empty promises. The real test will be whether they can deliver meaningful change, or if this is just another chapter in a long story of political spin designed to mask incompetence and neglect. Communities deserve better, and only a government committed to real action, not slogans, will truly serve their interests.
Source: Noah Wire Services