On Wednesday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer unveiled his Spending Review. Key highlights and good news for our area included:
- Taken together, our funding to tackle Coronavirus next year will total £55 billion, with more money for Test & Trace, PPE, vaccines and to reduce waiting times.
- Our military will get their biggest spending boost in 30 years, with £24 billion over the next four years.
- We will deliver safer streets, by putting an extra 6,000 more police officers on the beat in 2021-22, through a £400 million boost.
- £14.6 billion was made available for research and development, helping to kick-start the next generation of jobs, drive economic growth and forge the UK’s future as a global scientific superpower.
- A record investment in infrastructure to level-up the entire country, including new homes, roads, rail upgrades and faster broadband.
- A pledge to deliver a green industrial revolution to create 250,000 jobs and do more to protect, preserve and enhance our environment and reach net-zero by 2050.
- Providing an extra £7.1 billion to our schools to help further drive up standards and opportunity.
And that is just a snapshot. Given the challenges of the current fiscal environment, I thought this was a hugely impressive announcement in the circumstances and I will certainly be going after our fair share for Corby & East Northamptonshire!