Making sense of England's new Local Growth Fund: regional strategy or tactical retreat?

The Chancellor has confirmed a new Local Growth Fund (LGF) – a £900m, four‑year capital pot reserved for 11 Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) in the North and Midlands of England. But the annual average of £225m is around 60% lower than England’s final‑year UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation, and many places – including London, the South East, most rural counties and non‑mayoral areas – will receive nothing from this scheme. In this Espresso Shot, David and Mike ask whether LGF represents a serious new regional policy – or simply a smaller, more selective successor to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. They explore the risks of widening disparities within and between regions, the challenges of aligning LGF with integrated settlements, visitor levies, investment zones and other funding pots, and what all this means for capital‑heavy programmes where revenue and community‑level capacity often lag behind. Can MSAs use LGF catalytically – and what are practitioners in non‑funded areas supposed to do next?