Reacting to the Chancellor’s Budget statement, Dan Norris, Labour’s candidate for West of England metro mayor said: “What a disappointment. A budget that is truly lacking in ambition for the West of England. There was no mention of the NHS, or social care, or schools, or teachers. There was nothing on crime or restoring our area’s high streets. Meanwhile the Chancellor is freezing pay for the keyworkers who have got us through this Covid crisis. There was no major green stimulus that is vital if we are to build back better from coronavirus.”
The Budget announced Freeports in eight locations around the country but the “Great Western Freeport” based around Bristol Port failed to meet the cut.
Mr Norris continued: “It looks like on the Freeport the invisible Conservative Metro Mayor even failed to get his point across to a Conservative government. It’s time for new leadership.”