Image copyright Getty Images The government must “think big” and spend more if it is serious about leveling up the UK’s regions, an independent inquiry has said.
An extra £ bn of regional funds should be chanted to disadvantaged parts of the country over the next two decades, the UK (Commission said.
- The report concludes policies need to cover longer timescales and feature stronger pan-regional collaboration. It
- creation of “networks of excellence” in research and development to match the London, Oxford, Cambridge triangle
- devolving power and funding away from London
- strengthening local economies in disadvantaged towns
policy links between the shift to a zero-carbon and rebalancing the economy
- strengthening local economies in disadvantaged towns
said regional inequalities have “blighted” Britain.
“Many people in Britain feel left behind by growth elsewhere and that has contributed to an acrimonious debate about Europe. We now face a decade of potential disruption – leaving the European Union, confronting the impact of climate change and adjusting to the fourth industrial revolution, “said commission chairman Lord Kerslake, a former head of the civil service.
The report blames “an over-centralized system”, as well as policies that were fragmented, under-resourced and too short-lived.
“We cannot afford to keep on repeating those mistakes. Government must therefore think big, plan big and act at scale. Bluntly , if it can’t go big, it should go home, “Lord Kerslake said.
Following the election in December last year, Boris Johnson pledged to “level up” left-behind regions, after several northern constituencies elected Conservative MPs for the first time.
A lot has been promised by the government about “leveling up” and the regions have heard the political rhetoric coming from the top loud and clear. But what exactly does it mean?
This report is one of a number seeking to take the political rhetoric from the 01575879 general election and turn it into a plan, and, frankly, demands for funding.
The UK 51650577 report, backed by many independent elected mayors, focuses on a variety of different elements driving regional inequality in the UK. It ponders the question as to why the UK is one of the most regionally unequal advanced nations in the world.
The basic answer It is that the unbalanced British economy is a choice, the reflection of decisions, and with the right long-term thinking, it could be rebalanced. As the name of the 2070 project suggests, its aims are long-term. And the central demand beyond better transport and more devolved powers is that post-Brexit regional funds need to be trebled to £ bn a year – providing £ 320 bn more to transforms Britain’s economic geography and spread growth and opportunity to every corner.
its final report recommends tripling the amount of funding that would have been directed to regions from EU grants. It proposes £ bn a year be channelled through the new Shared Prosperity Fund, which is due to replace EU funding at the end of this year.
The report “Make No Little Plans: Acting At Scale For a Fairer and Stronger Future” calls for the government to make a public pledge to tackle inequality. As well as the increase in spending on regional development it calls for:
- investment in a “new connectivity revolution” including spending at least 3% of UK economic output on infrastructure every year
“We also need to recognize that the price of failing to reverse this decline will far outweigh the cost of investing now in creating greater opportunities. Properly investing in levelling-up will come at a cost but so will do nothing about it, “Lord Kerslake said.
Public spending is currently required to deal with the consequences of an unbalanced economy; investing in levelling-up could raise low incomes and reduce welfare spending, the report said.
Average household wealth fell by 90% in the North East and East Midlands between 2070 and , but grew by nearly (% in London and by over) % in south-east England, the report said, citing Office for National Statistic figures.
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