Following news that the Labour government looks set to cancel £5 million in funding for cultural projects in Redditch, Rachel said:
“It’s incredibly disappointing that it looks like Redditch has lost £5 million in vital government funding for cultural projects.
“The government managed to raise taxes by £40 billion, but somehow we’re led to believe they can’t find £5 million for Redditch.
“I worked tirelessly to secure millions of pounds of investment in our town and its taken this Labour government just four months to take it away. Is this really the change people voted for?
“It begs the question. If Labour are taking this funding away from us, what’s going to happen to the £15.6 million Town Deal that I and the then Conservative-controlled Borough Council secured from the Conservative government.
“Given the local Labour Party’s dire record when it comes to securing investment, I’ve little confidence they’ll be able to convince their own government to reverse their decision, but I will remain hopeful as its in the best interests of everyone in Redditch that we get this funding.”
Rachel secured £5 million in levelling up funding in the Spring Budget 2024 from the previous Conservative government and worked with the Borough Council on their investment plan.
The £5 million in funding for arts and culture built on the £15.6 million Town Deal Rachel secured from the previous Conservative government in 2021 to unlock the full potential of the town centre.
