Levelling up secretary Michael Gove led the debate on his department’s levelling up legislation on Wednesday afternoon in which he committed to “strengthening local government and rebalancing our economy”. 

Gove highlighted the “absence” of Labour MPs present for the debate compared to Conservative MPs.

Shadow secretary Lisa Nandy told the House of Commons that she was “glad for him that he couldn’t see the faces behind him” and shared her concern at a clause that allows the government to “tear up” levelling up measures “at a whim”.