Last week, I spoke in an important Westminster Hall Debate on reviewing the Green Book ahead of the Government’s Spending Review. I used this debate as another opportunity to highlight the urgent need for a strategic, place-based approach to investment in our towns.

Growth goes where growth is already happening, leaving towns such as Leigh, Atherton, Tyldesley, Golborne and Lowton struggling for investment.

Without targeted intervention, deprivation becomes entrenched, and opportunities are lost.

I am passionate about addressing this challenge both locally and in Parliament. As chair of the Labour MPs group on local growth funding, alongside the Industrial Communities Alliance,

I have worked closely with colleagues across the UK who represent former industrial communities—places that have been overlooked for too long. We are united in our commitment to securing the investment towns like Leigh and Atherton desperately need. These communities, like many others across the UK, have been neglected by previous Conservative governments, which prioritised certain regions over others.

This priority perfectly aligns with the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. However, it must be backed by investment that reflects long-term, transformative impact.

The Leigh and Atherton constituency ranks high on the indices of deprivation, with lower life expectancy, higher unemployment and poor transport links. Our cities have deeply deprived neighbourhoods, but they also benefit from economic vitality, larger workforces and greater infrastructure investment.

In contrast, smaller towns experience deprivation more acutely. Towns such as Leigh and Atherton suffer from long-term underinvestment, lower job diversity, reduced access to essential services and poor transport connectivity, making it harder to recover and attract new economic opportunities.

That is why the Green Book review is so important; it must go beyond Treasury metrics and ensure that investment decisions align with the Government’s regional growth goals. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work. We need a model that recognises the unique challenges and potential of different places and improves public health, revitalises high streets, enhances transport links and creates local jobs.

There is also a lack of clarity about the extent to which the Green Book should apply within devolved regions, especially when funding comes from the devolved administrations rather than from Westminster. The review offers a chance to both guide and empower devolved regions and local authorities in deciding where growth funds should be allocated and to ensure that investment reaches the areas that are most in need without adding another frustrating layer of bureaucracy.

The Government’s review of the Green Book should not be solely a Treasury initiative; it needs to be a cross-departmental effort that prioritises communities in the decision-making process. By doing that, we can create a fairer, more inclusive economy, ensuring that towns like Leigh, Atherton, Tyldesley, Golborne and Lowton receive the opportunities that they deserve.

If you are a Leigh and Atherton constituent in need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. My staff, which includes a specialist welfare advisor, are ready to help you find the support you need.

You can contact me by email at jo.platt.mp@parliament.uk.

Note: This article was originally published on the Wigan Today website, on Wednesday 9 April, 2025.