Pride in Place Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Julie Minns
Main Page: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)Department Debates - View all Julie Minns's debates with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
(1 day, 12 hours ago)
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Miatta Fahnbulleh
I thank the hon. Member, and I am very happy to meet him.
Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)
I warmly welcome the Government’s investment of £20 million in the Raffles and Morton neighbourhoods of my Carlisle constituency. As I am very fond of reminding Members, Carlisle is the most northerly city in England—120 miles north of Manchester, and a very long way from this place. Does the Minister agree with me that what is truly transformative about this programme is not simply the money, but the fact that decisions about how it will be spent are put in the hands of local people, not politicians and civil servants in what we in Carlisle call “that London”?
Miatta Fahnbulleh
My hon. Friend is completely right. Putting local people and communities in charge is game changing, if we get it right. I think it will lead to better decisions, and to an impact on places that matters to people. However, there is a big collective onus on all of us to get that right. The instinct to hoard power at the centre and to control is strong, and we all have to work to make sure that we put our communities in the driving seat.