Rishi Sunak gives his wealthy constituency £19m to 'level up'

The Prime Minister announced the money to regenerate Catterick town center six months after footage emerged of him bragging about embezzling funds from leveling of disadvantaged urban areas< /p>

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Rishi Sunak Responds to Criticism of 2022 Commentary Upgrade

Rishi Sunak hands over £19million to taxpayers in his leafy rural constituency to take it to the next level

The multi-millionaire Prime Minister, worth an estimated £730million with his wife Akshata Murty, announced the money for his seat in Richmond, North York, as he unveiled 111 plans for receive funds from a £2.1 billion government kitty.

Documents show the £19m will be used 'to transform Catterick Garrison town centre'.

They say, "This includes new walking and cycling routes, a new public plaza, and a new community facility that will house new businesses and a community kitchen."

In August a video emerged of former Chancellor Mr Sunak speaking in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, where he told Tory campaigners: 'We inherited a bunch of formulas from Labor that pushed all the funding into inner city areas and that needed to be reversed.

Falmouth will benefit from a new rail link to other Cornish towns

"I have begun the work of undoing this."

The project is receiving money from the final round of Leveling Fund grants.

Downing Street said the £2.1bn in total grants announced tonight include £672m to boost transport links, £821m to 'kickstart community regeneration' and £594m 'to restore local heritage sites'.

Projects that will benefit include the Eden Project North tourist attraction in Morecambe, Lancs, which is getting £50m to 'turn Morecambe's seafront into an Eden by the bay'; there's £40m for an artificial intelligence campus in Blackpool; and £50m for a direct Cornish rail service linking Newquay, St Austell, Truro and Falmouth.

But analysts said London gets more money - £151m - than the North East, which gets £108m, and Yorkshire and the Humber, which get £120m sterling.

The biggest regional winner was the North West, with £354m.

The Prime Minister said: "Through increased investment in local areas, we can grow the economy, create good jobs and expand opportunities everywhere.