In January, the Government announced its second round of Levelling Up funding totalling approximately £2.1bn for new projects and infrastructure improvements.

The announcement sparked controversy with cities like Leeds receiving no funding despite six separate bids but the Prime Minister’s own constituency being granted £19 million. 

Conservative Mayor of Birmingham Andy Street said the scheme perpetuated a “begging bowl culture” and many more accused the government of allocating funds in a way that would help them electorally.

We have dug into the figures and used our landmark MRP polling and in depth analysis to examine the extent to which levelling up is about pork-barrel politics.

The whole picture

In total 87 constituencies in England benefited from levelling up funding. Of these, 60 are currently represented by a Conservative MP (that’s 69%). 27 of these constituencies are currently represented by a Labour MP (that's 31%). 

Altogether, Conservative constituencies will benefit from £1.44bn or 69% of the total. Altogether, Labour constituencies benefit from £0.5bn or 23% of the total.*

So it would appear that Conservatives constituencies have benefited disproportionately from levelling up funding.

Pork barrel politics?

Using Best for Britain analysis of a 12,010 person MRP poll on Westminster voting intention, we can look at the key battleground constituencies for the next election. 

Of the 87 constituencies that will benefit from levelling up funding, 25 are marginal constituencies**. That’s 29%.

So it would appear that marginal constituencies have benefited significantly from levelling up funding, a decision that could benefit the Conservatives in some of the most tightly fought contests at the next election.

*Allocations which span multiple constituencies or where the government has not been explicit which constituencies will benefit have been omitted.

**Marginal constituencies are defined as any constituency where a three point swing could change the result.