Core Cities UK responds to the Chancellor's budget

Core Cities UK welcomes the Chancellor’s endorsement of the role of our great cities in creating growth in every postcode.

In addition, today’s fiscal devolution roadmap is full of vital steps on a policy agenda that is the norm in most other developed nations. It contains detail on many measures that Core Cities has long argued for, including overnight visitor levies.

Cities have much to contribute to the policy detail. Whether that is the work that we have done on developing investment funds across our cities or the leadership Edinburgh has shown in becoming the first city in the UK to introduce a tourism levy or the development of the memorandum of understanding that Cardiff have agreed with the hospitality sector on how to invest the proceeds of their levy into the visitor economy, which has been described as exemplary by the sector.

We have always believed that giving cities and their surrounding regions greater certainty and flexibility over revenues is essential if they are to reach their full potential.

The Chancellor’s commitments to have all business rates retained locally by the end of this decade and to give English mayors a share of income tax receipts by 2028 are bold and welcome. We will work closely with Westminster, Whitehall, devolved governments and mayoral strategic authorities to shape the detail of this roadmap.  This flexibility will allow many more examples of long-term investment that were highlighted in the Budget, such as Bristol Temple Meads development and the Leeds College of Building.

We are also pleased that the Chancellor’s announcements went beyond England to cities such as Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast, which also need new freedoms and powers to create growth.

Core Cities UK’s twelve cities stand ready to help turn today’s announcements into delivery. We will continue to partner with the Government to implement approaches that connect growth, public service reform and community empowerment—ensuring that every place can contribute to, and benefit from, a stronger UK economy.