Ten Years Stolen: Blackpool’s future is Britain’s test

My son was born in Blackpool. That simple fact means he is destined to live ten years less than a boy born in Hampshire. Ten years stolen before he has even had the chance to live them.

This isn’t down to fate or chance, but policy choices. Decades of neglect have written inequality into the lives of children like mine. Unless we act, they will inherit a Britain that rewards wealth and punishes geography.

When Keir Starmer came to Blackpool during my by-election in May 2024, he said something that people here immediately recognised as true – he spoke about the pride and ambition of our town and the frustration that comes when that pride is met with neglect, not investment.

He was right. Blackpool has never lacked pride or ambition – what it has lacked for far too long is a sustained and serious commitment from those with the power to change things.

Eighteen months on from the General Election, it is time to be honest about where a Labour government has made a difference for Blackpool, where it has fallen short and what must change if it is to match the pride and ambition of my hometown.

Blackpool is in crisis. The 2025 Indices of Multiple Deprivation place seven of England’s ten most deprived communities here. Low wages, poor health and insecure work are all part of a deep-rooted disadvantage.

There have been improvements and they should be recognised. After years of seeing our public services stretched to breaking point, we now have a government that understands the scale of the challenge facing towns like ours. Increased NHS investment has stabilised services on the brink of collapse. Early steps on social care reform are beginning to ease pressure on families and hospitals. Support for further education skills, and funding for two new SEND schools in Blackpool has strengthened local institutions, giving young people the chance to build a future without leaving Blackpool behind.

Regeneration is happening too. Some long-neglected areas are finally benefiting from joined-up plans rather than short-term funding announcements designed to grab headlines. And the shift towards working with local government rather than directing everything from Whitehall is welcome.

Nevertheless, the 2025 Indices of Multiple Deprivation should be a wake up call to anyone still sleeping on this issue. This is not a badge of shame - it is a call to action.

Labour in government must confront this reality. Despite good intentions, we are yet to rebalance investment away from the South toward Northern towns and coastal communities at the scale required. Too much capital spending still flows to places that are already doing well. Too many national programmes assume city-region models that ignore towns like Blackpool. Coastal deprivation is still treated as a niche issue rather than the national economic failure that it is.
 

If the government is serious about matching Blackpool’s pride and ambition, 2026 must be the year it sharpens its focus.

That starts with radical, long-term, place-based investment. Real regeneration understands that buildings alone do not change lives – jobs, health, skills, transport and housing do.

Last year I hosted Blackpool’s biggest ever jobs fair - returning this February bigger and better

We must also be honest about the limits of current schemes. The £20m Pride in Place funding for Layton and Grange Park is a start, but allocating a single project per constituency is nowhere near enough for a town where deprivation is widespread and entrenched. Communities facing extreme disadvantage need multiple, coordinated projects delivered over time or we risk raising hopes without delivering change.

Equally important is how decisions are made. Too often, priorities are decided in Whitehall with little input from local MPs. There was no meaningful engagement with me as the MP when deciding where the Pride in Place funding should be allocated. The government must trust the knowledge of people who live and work in these communities they know best where investment will have impact.

Economic rebalancing must also move from theory to reality. Good jobs are the foundation of everything else and for Blackpool, that means better, more secure jobs and real routes for progression.

Economic growth has been a luxury enjoyed by the South while towns on the coast have been trapped in poverty. It has not trickled down. The Government must lead by relocating public sector jobs, incentivising business investment and backing emerging sectors such as clean energy, digital services, health innovation and the visitor economy.

In Blackpool, the Tories built shiny new civil service hubs but added no new jobs. They didn’t level up people, they levelled up buildings. We were elected on a promise of change and we have the power to shatter the old economic order. We must seize this moment.

Health is a major concern. In Blackpool, a young boy can expect to live more than ten years less than his counterpart in Hampshire – a shocking, preventable gap caused by policy choices. Prevention, early intervention and properly funded local health services must be central to the change agenda because without health, opportunity is hollow.

And we must continue to back our young people. When Keir Starmer spoke to 6th form students here they helped show him something essential – it our responsibility is to make the pride they have in our town a gateway to opportunity. At the moment, too many of them leave to access opportunities.

Yes, Blackpool has pride, but pride does not fix unsafe housing. Blackpool has ambition, but ambition does not create well-paid jobs. Yes, the government is beginning to understand our challenges but understanding will not rebalance an economy still skewed to the South.

With the Prime Minister during a visit to Blackpool

We are not asking for favours, we are just asking for fairness. Investment that reflects need, decisions that respect local knowledge and change that’s visible in everyday life.

Keir Starmer is right – a Labour government can make a difference. But that difference now must be clear, tangible and bold to ensure people don’t become further disillusioned.

Incremental change will continue to fail towns like Blackpool. But decisive investment, radical rebalancing and building trust will transform lives.

When Blackpool succeeds, Britain succeeds. The test is whether this Labour government is ready to act.

Keep up to date with the work Chris Webb is doing at chriswebb.org/news, by signing up to his newsletter at chriswebbmp.substack.com, and by following him on social media @chriswebbmp.