SIR Keir Starmer branded the Conservative government's Levelling Up fund for East Lancashire "frankly insulting" and told voters "we have changed" while visiting a plastics manufacturer in Hyndburn this morning (February 15).
Mr Starmer was joined by MP for Wigan and Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Lisa Nandy, on a tour of What More UK - whose headquarters are in Burnley - at Altham Business Park.
The Labour party pair chatted with factory workers and held meetings with directors before taking questions from the Lancashire Telegraph on Levelling Up and how Labour plan to win back former red-wall seats in East Lancashire, which turned Conservative after many years at the last general election.
Mr Starmer said: "The government has been in power for 12-years now and so coming to a place like Burnley after all that time and saying they're finally going to get round to putting some money in is quite frankly insulting.
"Of course, whatever money can be put in is welcome but we need a government that matches the ambition of the people, here in Burnley and the surrounding areas.
"We're here at What More UK, a manufacturer that is pulling together skills from Burnley College, the apprentices here and the investment that is needed, they want a government that is alongside them in ambition and what the Labour Party has said is that we've got a package of £28bn-a-year on the next generation of jobs.
"We want a buy, make and sell policy in Britain, which means that jobs will stay local and we want to deal with business rates and make our high streets driving again. So, 'Levelling Up' will only happen if the scale of the plan that goes in matches the ambition of the people across the North West."
When asked why the East Lancashire public should put their faith back into the Labour Party and turn former red-wall seats like Hyndburn and Burnley back red, Mr Starmer said Labour had "turned inside out" and "changed".
He said: "We know that we've got to earn every vote and that is what we're doing. It was really important after the last election that we changed the Labour party and that's what we've done.
"We've turned the party inside out and made sure that what we want to happen, matches what local people want to happen.
"Security, prosperity and respect is what we're focussing on now having changed our party. But as I said, I'm very clear about having to earn every single vote.
"So many people have said to me, 'what I want is my town to be a thriving place where I don't have to get out to get on with a skilled job, a well-paid job, the security of a decent home and I don't want to be blighted by anti-social behaviour where I live. That's what I want, Keir.'.
"We've listened hard to that and the Labour Party's priority now matches the priorities of the people in the places we've lost.
"When you lose, you don't blame the electorate. You look at yourself and you change yourself and so we changed the whole party.
"It's pretty obvious to many people now that this government isn't fit for purpose or fit to govern. They've been distracted for months by Partygate and not getting on with the job at hand."
Ms Nandy said: "We've come to Burnley for a reason. To see what a local business investing in its people and town can do when backed by a Labour council and backed by the local college.
"Imagine what could be done with a national government that matched that level of ambition, not just creating the good jobs but investing in people and places, as Keir said, and ensuring that happens in every town up and down the country.
"It's also about getting money back into people's pockets. This is a company [What More UK] that's been hit hard by runaway inflation.
"We've got a plan to cut people's energy bills by taxing the oil and gas producers who've made huge record profits throughout this period and putting that money back into people's pockets who can then spend it locally.
"That is the difference that a Labour government would make. We won't just back our places, but the people in them, and if you want to 'Level Up' this country you have to invest in young people and level up everyone."
Mr Starmer and Ms Nandy are due to visit Burnley College to speak to students and staff later this evening.
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