Eastern Powerhouse: MPs call for region potential to be realised

The group called on the prime minister to help boost the region's potential, in places such as Peterborough

A group of MPs is appealing to the prime minister to help the East of England "realise its full potential".

A letter, signed by 20 Tory MPs, called for an "independent economic review" for the so-called Eastern Powerhouse.

It comes as a parliamentary debate heard how the region was one of the worst-funded areas of the UK, despite receiving £250m of levelling-up money.

Matt Warman MP said the region had "a unique and unrivalled combination of assets and opportunities".

The letter, from the Eastern Powerhouse group of business leaders and MPs, called on the government to take measures that could see the East deliver an £31.2bn of economic growth and some £11bn in additional tax revenue.

It also said transport spending in the East was "just £678 per head, compared with £1,476 per head in London, and it currently sits below the UK average of £737".

It asked for "a co-ordinated approach that researches, recognises, and advances the ideas and policies required for growth that would help this vital part of the country to flourish".

The letter comes after a parliamentary debate on Tuesday in which several of the region's MPs spoke of how the East was still losing out when it came to spending on infrastructure and transport.

The former home secretary and MP for Witham in Essex, Priti Patel, described the A12 and A120 as "roads from the dark ages".

Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney in Suffolk, called for a "fairer funding formula" for education.

Mr Aldous, co-chairman of the East of England parliamentary group, said: "There is a worry that there is a lack of understanding in Whitehall of the challenges facing the region.

"There is a view that East Anglia is comfortably off, but it also has pockets of severe deprivation".

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He said progress was being made on encouraging research and development, and creating jobs, but there was still concern about transport, education and training.

Long-awaited work on upgrading rail junctions at Ely in Cambridgeshire and Haughley in Suffolk needed to go ahead, he said, and there must be a fairer funding formula for education, particularly in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Central Bedfordshire.

There is also disparity within the region, with areas like Great Yarmouth having higher unemployment and lower wages

Clacton MP, Giles Watling, also told the debate it was unacceptable that a journey to London by train from his Essex constituency could take 90 minutes, while James Wild, MP for North West Norfolk, said digital connectivity was vital in rural areas.

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The Levelling Up minister Dehenna Davison praised the economic success of the region but accepted "that we need to share its assets more fairly... there is always more to do".

Mr Warman, Conservative MP for Boston and Skegness in Lincolnshire, who co-ordinated the letter to PM Rishi Sunak, said: "From Lincolnshire to Essex, the East has a unique and unrivalled combination of assets and opportunities.

"The government's focus on maximising every area's potential could see the East deliver more for everyone who lives there and more tax revenue to fund vital public services."

Phillip Blond, director of the Eastern Powerhouse group, said: "The problems that limit and constrain growth - skills, infrastructure, energy and investment - are often beyond the reach of many places to solve.

"The East of England is an area full of economic potential and activity that can go to scale with the right regional vision and approach."