There’s a quiet but important shift happening in how government thinks about investment – and it really matters for places like West Cumbria.
For too long, decisions about public spending have been made on narrow criteria, often overlooking the wider impact on local communities. Contracts have too often gone to the lowest bidder, with too little thought about whether they create good local jobs, support skills, or strengthen the places they operate in.
That’s now changing.
The Government has set out plans for the biggest overhaul of procurement in a generation – using the £400 billion it spends each year not just to buy services, but to back British workers, support local businesses and deliver real benefits for communities.
At the heart of these reforms is a stronger focus on what’s called “social impact” – making sure that when public money is spent, it delivers more than just a contract. It should mean apprenticeships for local young people, opportunities for small firms, and investment that stays in the community.
That approach speaks directly to the challenges and opportunities we face here in West Cumbria.
We are a place with huge strengths thanks to our world-leading nuclear industry, which brings billions of pounds of public investment into West Cumbria every year. The NDA Group has received a record funding settlement from this government over the course of this Parliament.
But that can sometimes act as an anchor on our economy, not a springboard to diversify and strengthen our local economy; creating new opportunities, attracting more investment and ensuring that prosperity is shared across our towns.
That’s why I’ve been working closely with Cumberland Council, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and other partners on how we can better align investment already coming into our area with those same principles.
The aim is simple: to make sure funding linked to the nuclear sector delivers the greatest possible benefit for local people – supporting jobs, improving infrastructure and helping to diversify our economy for the long term.
That work is ongoing, and there is more to do. But the direction is clear. We are bringing partners together, focusing on a smaller number of priorities, and looking at how we can take a longer-term, more strategic approach to investment in West Cumbria.
This builds on the wider progress we’re already making – from plans for Pioneer Park, to improving our rail connections, to the regeneration of our town centres.
What links all of this is a belief that places like ours should not be an afterthought. When public money is spent, it should work for communities like ours – creating good jobs, supporting local businesses and building a stronger future.
The changes being made nationally on procurement point in the right direction and help us make the strongest possible case for this locally so that here in West Cumbria we’re ready to lead the way.
Josh MacAlister MP 