Manchester received over £136m in European funding, says research

Manchester has received over £136 million in European funding, which has supported investment in businesses and helped to create job opportunities, according to research from Britain Stronger in Europe.

The research found that during the 2007-2013 European Structural Funds Programme, which is made up of the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund, Manchester received £136.2 million in European funding.

Development

European funding has helped to support regional development, with the North West receiving £990 million in funding in total and set to receive £910 million up to 2020.

The funding has also helped to create more learning opportunities for young people, such as apprenticeships and higher education.

Amongst those who have received funding are The Royal Eye Hospital in Manchester, which has received over £4 million, and the Home of Football at the National Football Museum, which has received over £3 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

Essential

Labour MP for Heywood and Middleton, Liz McInnes, spoke of the benefits of being a member of the EU and the impact that it would have if Britain were to leave.

“Being a member of Europe’s free trade single market brings jobs, low prices and investment to the UK. Part of that investment is from Europe directly. We get a fantastic return from our membership, which supports communities up and down the country,” she said.

She added that the research shows how European investment benefits Manchester directly, stating that funding to cover jobs, skills and local infrastructure is “essential”, and that it would be lost if Britain left Europe.

“There would be huge economic damage if we left and the Government would not be able to guarantee these funds would be available,” she said.