Conservatives pledge cash for towns as Labour focuses on growth

The promised funding would take the total number of towns on the programme to more than 100.

The Tories say the towns were chosen based on factors such as median pay and life expectancy.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the funding could go towards things like reviving high streets and growing local economies.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme why 16 of the areas had Tory MPs, Science Minister Andrew Griffith denied this was electioneering.

Others, including Tamworth, were recently held by the Conservatives.

“It’s not a new gimmick, it’s a tried and tested policy that’s already working,” Mr Griffith said.

However, the Liberal Democrats said the Tories had failed to deliver on their levelling up promises and the policy had “pitted councils against each other and left them begging for scraps”.

Mr Sunak will be out campaigning in north-east England to promote his towns policy.

Meanwhile, Labour has launched its election “battle bus” in west London, with deputy leader Angela Rayner setting off on a 5,000-mile tour of battleground seats across the country.