Lib Dems warn National Service plan would see cuts to support for Clean Economic Growth in West Devon after scrapping of £1mn local fund

The Liberal Democrats have warned that the Conservative Party’s plans to spend £2.5 billion on National Service would lead to cuts to funding for decarbonisation in West Devon.

The Conservatives have said their plans would be paid for by slashing funding for local areas through the Shared Prosperity Fund from 2028-29, which funds projects that boost jobs and living standards, improve public services and build pride in local communities.

This fund has provided £1 million of funding for West Devon from 2022 to 2025 targeted at supporting businesses and communities to operate more sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint. Grants of up to £10,000 have been available for projects to improve energy efficiency, implement decarbonisation plans or adopt new agricultural technology.  

Phil Hutty, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Torridge and Tavistock, commented:

“The Conservative Party has already done so much damage to people’s living standards and public services in West Devon with all their chaos.

“Now they want to slash funding for local decarbonisation projects to pay for their hare-brained plans for a National Service, which are nothing but a desperate distraction from the government’s record of failure on the NHS and economy.

“People across the country have been let down by a Conservative party that has failed to take climate change seriously and give businesses the flexibility they desperately need. 

“If the Conservatives were serious about defending Britain’s security, they would reverse their plans to cut the Army by 10,000 troops.”