Prime Minister visits

PRIME Minister Boris Johnson paid a flying visit to Stocksbridge as part of his whistle stop tour of the north on Friday.

The former Mayor of London, who replaced Teresa May as the leader of the government in July, arrived at Fox Valley at around 2pm.

There, he met up with Conservative Parliamentary candidate Miriam Cates before walking through the market area, chatting to shoppers and stall holders.

Although the visit had not been formally announced, the news had leaked out and an expectant crowd awaited his arrival.

Mr Johnson was mobbed by people hopeful of snapping a photo with him or getting their point across regarding the drawn-out withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Some members of the crowd chanted negatively, although Johnson certainly also had much vocal support, with a few people repeatedly shouting, “Get us out, Boris!”

Speaking of the reception he received, Johnson said: “It was quite a noisy reaction that wasn’t it? It was a bit 18 th century. It was good!”

Last week, Stocksbridge was named as one of the 100 towns due to receive a cut of £3.6 billion of the Towns Fund.

Look Local asked the Prime Minister how that would be spent. He replied: “Somebody said in the audience today that the town fund was cunningly devised to be political. That’s not the intention at all.

“What we want to do is give local people a way of managing their own futures. I’m a former mayor. I believe in devolution. I think the best people to decide how to spend money locally are local people.

“The £3.6 billion is there for 100 towns, I think 45 of those are in the northern powerhouse region. I want to see that spent on what they want.

“It could be broadband, community centres, youth centres, it could be stuff to improve local high streets, improve amenities for the community or it could be stuff to get people out shopping. It could be all sorts of things.

“But what it will do is reflect local priorities. And what we’re also doing is giving communities the reassurance that they need for safer streets - 20,000 more police officers on the streets. The thick end of a billion pounds we’re spending – perhaps more to get to the full 20,000.

“How would Jeremy Corbyn and Labour spend the money? Well, we heard this week. They want to stay in the EU past October 31. A billion pounds a month that will cost. So, I know where my priorities are.

“It will be for local people to bid into the funds. Whoever the elected authority is in that town, they will have the ability to do it. We did something like this when I was the Mayor of London. It was incredibly popular – it gave councils the opportunity to give people what they have been calling out for a long time.”