It's crucial Starmer's 'Pride in Place' funds reach communities in need
Labour cannot afford for this to become another Westminster hobbyhorse
At The Lead UK, we’re welcoming Keir Starmer’s new “Pride in Place” regeneration plans, which put local communities and high streets back in the spotlight.
This is very much our bread-and-butter: covering politics and policy outside of Westminster actors, exploring what it means on the ground for our readers and their families. From Scunthorpe’s community-led revival to Southport’s long-promised pier funding, Blackpool’s regeneration schemes and the collapse of hotel projects, to St Helens’ battle against Reform UK and the malaise affecting suspended MPs, we cover the often forgotten space where promises meet reality.
Our reporting on the North’s funding shortfalls, including Teesside’s struggles with fire authority debt and long-delayed reparations, shows that money needs to reach communities, not become another Westminster hobbyhorse.
The program - yet to be fully revealed - promises tens of millions of pounds over the next decade for more than 300 deprived areas, giving councils and communities real power to decide how funds are spent.
Our award-winning Lead North editions in the coming days will dig into what this means on the ground, who benefits, and how it could transform everyday life.
Meanwhile, our Westminster editor, Zoe Grunewald, will be at the Labour Party Conference next week to see whether this blitz of community is enough to shift the political landscape and show that Starmer’s “deliverism” can make a tangible difference where it matters most.