Jessica Bowles, Bruntwood director of strategy reacts to Boris Johnson spending pledges
By Bruntwood
![Grand Union](https://images.ctfassets.net/5wq17jjenal9/78Vuwh4awaJyuQoP5pBro/cb9d1e2575c67798aa3bc4c62b32e912/grand-union.jpg?fm=jpg&fl=progressive&w=960)
“For our regional economies, it’s about powers as well as pounds. Further devolution is mission critical to ensuring the Government's investment in the recovery is effective and long-lasting.
“Many city regions, like Liverpool, Greater Manchester, Leeds and the West Midlands, have been preparing long-term recovery plans for how they’d use new funding, and flex existing funds, to create sustainable growth and jobs. Local decisions, with public and private sector working together, will guarantee a better return on investment.
“Infrastructure projects will catch the eye but previous commitments to areas like research and development expenditure - to help the UK meet the OECD average of 2.4% of GDP by 2027 - are vital to our long-term competitiveness but need to be rebalanced to regions with significant potential outside of the South East of England.
"If our regional towns and cities succeed the UK will succeed.”