Maintenance fund to give £9bn a year to fix schools, hospitals and prisons
The maintenance fund is part of the minimum £725 billion committed to boost infrastructure in the 10-year plan, he told the Commons.
The Government hopes this preventative action will break the cycle of emergency repairs in public infrastructure.
It will go towards making court facilities better in a bid to reduce backlogs, and improving safety and security in prisons across England and Wales.
Removing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) will be among the measures taken to update health facilities.
The Treasury minister told MPs: 'Done properly it will result in tangible improvements to the fabric of our country, our local roads and high streets renewed so communities are even better places to live. Our public transport more available and more reliable, making it easier for people to get around and access opportunities.
'Our schools and hospitals and GP surgeries fit for the future to deliver for generations to come, and a country that will be stronger and more resilient.
'Communities will see the difference as this Labour Government delivers on the promise of change and a decade of national renewal.'
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones (James Manning/PA)
The strategy also includes £1 billion to fix roads, bridges and flyovers and £590 million to start work on the Lower Thames Crossing project.
Some £16 billion of public investment will go towards building 500,000 new homes through a new publicly owned National Housing Bank. This is expected to unlock more than £53 billion of private investment.
Around £7.9 billion over 10 years will be invested in maintaining and creating new flood defences with the aim of benefiting 840,000 properties.
The strategy covers a decade but the spending review cycle every two years will provide a juncture to decide whether to go ahead with projects.
A 'pipeline' of projects will be published online in mid-July and will be updated every six months.
The chief secretary's shadow counterpart Richard Fuller urged him to set out which major projects are being abandoned and explain why.
The pipeline is a digital dashboard that will give an overview of projects the Government is procuring on a map, Mr Jones said in response.
'It will show on a map of the country which projects we're procuring, when and where to give investors and businesses that long-term confidence about the jobs that are going to be available, so that they can invest in their own workforce,' he said.
The strategy does not cover so-called megaprojects which cost more than £10 billion and take more than 10 years to deliver – currently the HS2 railway, Sizewell C nuclear plant and the Dreadnought submarine programme.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: 'Infrastructure is crucial to unlocking growth across the country, but for too long investment has been squeezed. Crumbling public buildings are a sign of the decay that has seeped into our everyday lives because of a total failure to plan and invest.
'We're not just fixing buildings – we're enhancing public services, improving lives and creating the conditions for sustainable economic growth in communities throughout the UK. We're delivering on a decade of national renewal we promised Britain.
'This will deliver the decade of national renewal we promised Britain, and fulfil our Plan for Change goals to kickstart economic growth, and build an NHS fit for the future.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
44 minutes ago
- Wales Online
MPs declare £1million of gifts - and Nigel Farage got the most
MPs declare £1million of gifts - and Nigel Farage got the most Farage was given US trips, a helicopter ride and £2,000 tickets to a boxing match Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage MPs have received more than £1 million in gifts since the election, including foreign travel, accommodation and tickets to sporting events and concerts. Rows over free tickets and other gifts given to senior Labour figures, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, posed an early problem for the Government, which had made restoring trust in politics a major part of its election campaign. But analysis of the MPs' Register of Interests by the PA news agency shows hundreds of MPs have declared receiving gifts in the past year. Some 236 MPs declared gifts from UK sources, totalling £477,539, while 144 said they had been on overseas trips paid for by donors, charities, think tanks or foreign governments, worth another £810,761. In total, 318 MPs declared that they had received gifts in the year since the election, just under half the number sitting in the Commons. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declared the highest value, receiving gifts worth a total of £98,709 over the past year. The bulk of these took the form of flights and accommodation on a number of trips to the United States, paid for by Reform donor Christopher Harborne and party volunteer George Cottrell. But they also include £8,413 for a helicopter journey from JC Bamford, whose owner has previously backed the Tories, and tickets worth £2,000 from boxer Derek Chisora to watch his fight against Joe Joyce last August. The biggest recipient of hospitality from UK sources was the Prime Minister, thanks to his regular attendance at Arsenal games. Sir Keir declared £11,170 worth of football tickets over the past year. A long-standing Arsenal season ticket holder, he has previously said that he is no longer able to sit in the stands because of security concerns, but has been offered a seat in the club directors' box so he can continue to attend matches with his son. The Prime Minister declared a total of £17,344 in hospitality and other gifts since the election, with other donations including tickets from Universal Music and the FA to see Taylor Swift and the loan of clothes to his wife. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch declared just one gift – £14,350 from Tory donor Neil Record to cover work space, accommodation and hospitality for a series of meetings in Gloucestershire in March this year. Article continues below While several MPs received significant sums in gifts, most declared lower amounts or none at all, with the median MP receiving £1,208 in gifts over the year. Some 49 MPs received free tickets to football matches in the past year, totalling almost £59,000. But gifts from football clubs and organisations such as the FA and the Premier League totalled more than £70,000, and included concert tickets as well as hospitality at matches. The single largest gift of sporting tickets, however, was declared by shadow business minister Greg Smith, who received hospitality worth £5,160 at last year's British Grand Prix from hosts Silverstone. Four other MPs, including Leader of the Commons Lucy Powell and shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel, also received hospitality at Silverstone last year. Eight MPs received hospitality from the Lawn Tennis Association at Wimbledon in 2024, while golf's R&A provided tickets for four MPs at the Open. Another 49 MPs received tickets to awards ceremonies including the Baftas, the Brit Awards and the British Kebab Awards, while 23 were given tickets and hospitality for horse racing events, and 21 received tickets to concerts. The most popular of those concerts were part of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, with nine MPs receiving free tickets totalling £14,628, mostly from the Premier League and the FA. As well as the Prime Minister, they included Cabinet ministers Darren Jones, Peter Kyle, Bridget Phillipson and Wes Streeting, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey. During the last election, Labour campaigned on a pledge to restore probity to public life after the scandals that had plagued the previous Conservative government. Last year Sir Keir sought to toughen up transparency rules for ministers, introducing a new monthly register of gifts and hospitality for ministers rather than the previous quarterly releases. He also changed the Ministerial Code in November to include the seven principles of public life directly in the rules and allow the independent adviser on ministerial standards to launch his own investigations. Article continues below But Alastair McCapra, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, warned the continued culture of gifts and hospitality in British politics risked creating a 'full-blown crisis of legitimacy'. He said: 'At the heart of this credibility gap is the shadowy relationship between business and politics. 'The entrenched culture of gifts and hospitality in British politics creates the perception of corruption, and the suspicion of back doors to access are damaging a Labour Party that campaigned on promises of transparency, integrity and a break from the past. Political scandals thrive in the gaps between information and silence. 'If the Government and the business community are serious about building back trust, they must prioritise and accept a relationship that is transparent and accountable to the public.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Starmer faces Labour turmoil and global volatility as he marks year in Number 10
Sir Keir Starmer is facing Labour dissent, economic uncertainty and spiralling conflict abroad as he marks a year in Number 10. The Prime Minister led his party back into power with more than 400 MPs on July 4 last year – clinching a majority just short of Sir Tony Blair's landslide in 1997. But with a daunting in-tray of problems including a stuttering economy, creaking public services and global volatility, his political honeymoon period was short-lived. His personal popularity is now the lowest of any British premier after their first 12 months in office, political scientist and polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice said. 'There were pretty clear potential weaknesses before they even started, and most of those weaknesses have basically just been exposed over the course of the last 12 months,' he told the PA news agency. Sir John said part of the problem lay in what he described as a failure of narrative in setting out the Government's vision for change to the public. 'They're portraying themselves as a repair gang rather than the builders of a new Jerusalem. Pessimism doesn't necessarily go down very well,' he told PA. 'The thing with Starmer is, he's a brilliant prosecution lawyer… But prosecution lawyers present cases that have been (put together) by someone else. The problem is that as a political leader you've got to prosecute your own case. 'Maybe he needs new personnel? Either he's got to learn to do it himself or get someone in to do it for him.' That verdict was echoed by some dissenting voices within Labour ranks, where there is lingering discontent among rebels over the Government's Welfare Bill despite Number 10 offering major concessions on the legislation. The Government saw off the threat of a major Commons defeat over the legislation on Tuesday after shelving plans to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), the main disability benefit in England. 'I think he really needs to think about why he wants to be a Labour Prime Minister and what is it he actually cares about,' one long-serving Labour MP said. They said Tuesday had marked 'the lowest point' in Sir Keir's premiership so far and raised questions about his authority, warning that backbenchers may now feel emboldened to demand further U-turns elsewhere. Sir John said that the Government's challenges in passing legislation were unsurprising with the broad but fragile coalition of support on which Labour built its election victory, securing 412 seats on just 35% of the vote. That means many MPs defending narrow majorities and raises the prospect of 'a large body of people who are nervous about their political futures,' he said. The Government's original welfare proposals had been part of a package that ministers expected to save up to £5 billion a year, leaving Chancellor Rachel Reeves needing to look for the money elsewhere. The fallout threatens to cause lasting damage to morale in Labour ranks, with some rebels calling for a reset in relations between the parliamentary party and the leadership before fractures widen. Images of the Chancellor crying in the Commons on Wednesday have also led to questions about her future, although a Treasury spokesman cited a 'personal matter' as the cause of her distress and Number 10 said she would remain in post. Asked whether it was time for a course correction, Downing Street has said the Prime Minister will 'plough on' with the 'very busy agenda' of Government. But the MP quoted above said: 'The idea that they can keep carrying on as they've been carrying on is suicidal. 'They have no real sense of how the party thinks and feels.' Others had a more optimistic view of the year ahead, with a Starmer loyalist who supported the Bill suggesting the upset could be salvaged with a 'measured but solid response' from the Government. 'The worst they can do is nothing,' the backbencher added. The Prime Minister used a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to defend his record in office, telling ministers the welfare Bill was 'to help those who can work into employment and ensure dignity and security for those who can't work.' He said they could all 'rightly look back with a real sense of pride and achievement' on the last 12 months, pointing to a reduction in NHS waiting lists and a series of economic agreements struck with the US, EU and India. Abroad, the Prime Minister faces a tricky diplomatic balancing act as he seeks to strengthen ties with both Europe and Washington amid global instability from the Ukraine war and Middle East crisis. At home, Labour is staring down a threat from Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, which turned opinion poll momentum into widespread gains at the ballot box during the local elections in May. Sir John said that parties such as Reform and the Greens offer more choice to voters wanting to express their discontent with Labour while the Tories continue to flounder in the polls. 'The character of the challenge is different from what it has been historically,' he said. Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University, said people had been expecting bold change on areas such as workers' rights and growth, and the Government's achievements so far were 'pretty small beer' by comparison. Critics say the first year has instead been marked by a series of U-turns, including a partial reversal of cuts to the winter fuel payment and the move to launch a national inquiry into grooming gangs after months of resisting opposition pressure to do so. The Government disputes that framing, pointing out for example that ministers had never explicitly ruled out a statutory probe into child sexual exploitation but waited for a review to be carried out before making a decision. Prof Bale said he believed the first year had gone 'worse than most people imagined' and warned 'it's difficult for a leader who starts badly to persuade people that he or she is what they need.' But he said the problems were not necessarily fatal, adding that setbacks early on in a premiership have an upside in allowing for more time to 'turn it round'. 'If you look back to Margaret Thatcher, she was able to do that, so it's not a foregone conclusion that all is lost, even for Keir Starmer himself,' he said. Arguing that the Government could recover in the polls if its plans for the economy and public services pay off, he added: 'I think you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a very long tunnel.' Sir Keir has pledged to lead a 'decade of national renewal' through a phased approach to Government, the first year of which he said would involve 'cleaning up the mess' his administration had inherited. In a speech last week seeking to set the tone for the future, he said: 'We've wiped the state clean, we've stabilised the economy, and now we can go on to the next phase of government, building on that foundation.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We were elected with a commitment to deliver change and security for working people – and we are getting on with the job. 'We are delivering our Plan for Change – wages are rising faster than prices, interest rates have been cut four times, immigration has come down with 30,000 people with no right to be here removed and over four million NHS appointments have been delivered. 'Progress has been made, but we know people are impatient for change – and we are too – so we will continue to govern in the national interest for British people and deliver a decade of national renewal.'
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Who could replace Rachel Reeves as Chancellor?
Rachel Reeves's tearful appearance at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday afternoon has caused speculation about her future as Chancellor. Downing Street has stood by Ms Reeves, saying her tears were triggered by a ' personal issue ' and insisting she was 'going nowhere'. But the Prime Minister's show of support has not stemmed Westminster's rumour mill, where there was heated talk about who could replace her at the Treasury. Ms Reeves's emotional display came following a slew of bad news which has made her position increasingly untenable. A series of government climbdowns over key policies such as welfare reform and the winter fuel cut have increased the fiscal black hole she must fill at the next Budget to a possibly unmanageable £40 billion. The Chancellor is further constrained by her pre-election pledges not to increase any of the major taxes by which she could otherwise raise revenue: income tax, national insurance, corporation tax and VAT. She is also facing a series of internal revolts about tax rises she has already announced, including inheritance tax rises on family farms and the abolition of the non-dom tax regime. It is likely that Labour will now have to announce manifesto-breaking tax rises in the autumn Budget in order to keep to the fiscal rules and maintain market confidence. Here are the runners and riders to take Ms Reeves's place should she step aside. Pat McFadden A softly spoken Scotsman who currently serves as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden has distinguished himself as a loyal servant of Sir Keir Starmer and was considered a key architect of Labour's election victory in his role as the party's national campaign co-ordinator. Under New Labour he served as a political secretary to Sir Tony Blair but returned to the backbenches for years before being plucked from obscurity by Sir Keir and his top adviser Morgan McSweeney to serve in the shadow cabinet. He remains close to both men and, as a former shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, has the requisite credentials to take on the Government's top economics job. In Westminster he is considered the obvious favourite to replace Ms Reeves should she fall. Rumours of a major promotion for Mr McFadden have been swirling since January, as Ms Reeves's Budget began to disintegrate. Marianna McFadden, his wife, also serves as a senior figure in Labour. One senior Labour MP told The Telegraph: 'If there is a change of personalities, then Pat would be a much better communicator than her. You need someone who can actually communicate what we're about.' Darren Jones As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones currently serves as Ms Reeves's effective deputy. Before being appointed as a member of Sir Keir's front-bench team he was a back-bench firebrand who enjoyed ruffling feathers on X. He has since become a confident media performer, defending the Government's most controversial moves on the airwaves. Mr Jones also butted heads with ministers during the spending review when he took the lead in telling big-spending departments that the money they wanted was unavailable. His loyalty to the Starmer project makes him a strong contender to replace his wobbling boss, however his relative youth and inexperience may count against him. Wes Streeting The clearly ambitious Health Secretary would undoubtedly relish a promotion to the second most important job in Government and he remains the bookies' favourite to take over from Ms Reeves. While he has presided over one of the most politically contentious departments as Labour's steward of the health service and shown some results with falling NHS waiting lists, Wes Streeting 's credentials on economics are weaker than some of his rivals. He has never held an economics brief in Government or opposition. One minister told The Telegraph: 'It seems to be a personal issue so I don't think Rachel is going anywhere. But if she were to go, then Wes would be a very strong contender to replace her.' Yvette Cooper The Home Secretary has carved out a powerful position in this Government, pushing through large-scale immigration reforms that have put her at odds with Labour's more liberal-minded backbenchers. She would be a conventional choice to replace Ms Reeves. She served as chief secretary to the Treasury during the height of the global financial crisis back in 2008 when Gordon Brown was prime minister. Yvette Cooper has previously run for the leadership of the Labour Party and, if she moved into Number 11, would build a power base to rival Sir Keir in Number 10. Ed Miliband The radical Energy Secretary is probably the most qualified candidate to take the reins at the Treasury. Throughout the New Labour era he was a key adviser to Mr Brown when he was chancellor, and later served as Labour leader where he put forward Left-wing economic policies such as a mansion tax, raising the top rate of income tax and a ban on all zero hours contracts. Two factors make a promotion for Ed Miliband unlikely. Firstly, he is considered to be one of the most Left-wing figures in the Cabinet and is a confident advocate of unconventional ideas, so he could be considered too radical a candidate for the chancellorship. Secondly, he is passionately committed to the net zero project that he is currently pursuing at the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, so he might be reluctant to abandon that crusade only a year into the Labour Government. Torsten Bell While only a junior minister for pensions, Torsten Bell is one of the most influential economics brains in Westminster thanks to his previous stint as the head of the Resolution Foundation, a Left-wing economics think tank. He was parachuted into a safe Labour seat at the general election, a testament to how highly rated he is by the party leadership. His elevation to Number 11 would be a wild-card move, but remains plausible.
