With the first round of Levelling Up funding now on its way, the government is keen to get on the front foot and make it clear the Red Wall isn’t missing out on all that cash. Just last week, Rishi told the BBC:

“If you look at the funding, and you compare it to the number of people that live in each region, the region that has done the best in the amount of funding per person is the north!”

All well and good… except the Isles of Scilly, just off the coast of Cornwall, is set to receive a cool £48 Million. With a population of just 2,100 according to the latest census, that’s an average of £23,000 per resident…

Apparently the cash will be used to improve sea links to the islands, including providing “a more accessible passenger service“, and to encourage new investment in the local economy. The Isle of Scilly already has regularly scheduled flights and ferries to the mainland, with the February timetable displaying 3-4 flights on most days, as well as ferries. During some months of the year, flights reach as far as Exeter…

Benjamin Elks from the TaxPayers’ Alliance tells Guido:

“Taxpayers will rightly ask if this is the best use of precious funds. Ministers should review this award.”

Scilly money…