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Boris Johnson urged to back plan for Unionists to boycott a new Scottish referendum
Tories in move to counter SNP while fresh funding shake-up sees cash sent directly from London
27 February 2021 • 9:00pm
Boris Johnson is being urged by the leader of the Tories in Scotland to back a plan for unionists to boycott a second unofficial referendum on Scottish independence.
A second Scottish independence referendum can only be held if it is backed by the UK government and senior Tories are determined to reject it on the grounds that the vote in 2014 was said by the SNP to be a once in a generation event.
New government levelling up projects are being funded partly by diverting money originally earmarked for the Towns Fund, it has emerged.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government source confirmed that around half of the government s new Levelling Up Fund next year will come from reshuffling former Towns Fund money. It has also emerged that £175m of new funding for freeports will include money previously earmarked for the Towns Fund.
Two years on from when the Towns Fund first launched - offering cash to kickstart capital projects in 101 towns - it has been hampered by delays, with resources diverted to deal with the pandemic. Only seven areas have so far had their final funding amounts confirmed, in deals worth £178m.