Description

Urgent challenges are facing the UK's post-industrial towns, particularly in "red wall areas," which have experienced significant job losses, youth migration, and a feeling of being overlooked. We examine the proposed national industrial strategy, aiming to revitalise these communities by focusing on targeted investment in new sectors like fusion energy and aerospace, alongside a crucial skills revolution through apprenticeships and further education. The discussion highlights the government's commitment to shifting away from past neglect and reforming the Treasury's "Green Book" methodology to ensure fairer funding across all regions.

Key Takeaways:

• Many post-industrial towns are economically struggling, with young people moving away for better jobs and higher pay.
• These towns have often been ignored by previous governments, seen as "too difficult to do".
• A national industrial strategy is proposed to "unleash locked-in potential" and transform these areas into "wealth builders".
• Specific investments include £2.5 billion for fusion energy in north Nottinghamshire and £30 million to reopen Doncaster airport, aiming to create new jobs.
• A strong emphasis on a skills revolution, prioritising good apprenticeships and further education colleges over solely relying on universities.
• The government is committed to overhauling the Treasury's "Green Book", to shift from city-centric funding models to a place-based analysis that benefits all UK towns.
• The strategy also aims to support local businesses (SMEs) and industries like ceramics, textiles, and steel, recognising their vital role in communities.

Source: Post-industrial Towns
Volume 769: debated on Wednesday 18 June 2025

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.