A typically forensic Jennifer Williams piece on levelling up programme failings.

It didn’t:
- compensate for #localgov ££ cuts
- allocate promised funds (below)
- target ££ to deprivation

It did:
- add to funding complexity
- waste scarce bidding capacity
ft.com/content/45c12c…

One of the critiques of the Government's programme to tackle regional inequalities is that the investment doesn't offset the reductions in local authority funding.

From the FT:

The Centre for Cities definition of Birmingham incorporates all of the Black Country, including dozens of towns

So more often than not we're agreeing on the need for investment to improve connectivity or strengthen labour markets - even if it sounds like we're in different camps!

What's needed to drive growth through devolution?

Geoff White, Pete Tyler & Colin Warnock argue that for Labour to prioritise sustained growth, it must align public funding with local needs & attract more private sector investment into key sectors.

bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/driving-g…

✒️Great report on devolution by Arianna Giovannini & Jonathan Davies now on Mastodon, Threads and BSky! - 'Our first broad recommendation is that the incoming government should take a holistic approach to devolution, working on the economic, institutional, cultural, geographic and democratic dimensions in tandem'.

More 👇

Delighted that our paper has won 🏆Best Paper Award 2024🏆 for Regional Studies Policy Debates.

regionalstudies.org/news/2024-regi…

📄A place-based system? Regional policy levers and the UK’s productivity challenge
✏️Helen Tilley Charlotte Hoole Andrew Connell 🇺🇦 Ananya Mukherjee 🔗doi.org/10.1080/003434…

IFS research suggests poorer children who grew up near Sure Start centres achieved up to 3 grades higher at GCSE. That is huge.

When Centre for Progressive Policy looked at how an area’s characteristics affected poorer children’s attainment, most things were worth far less than 3 grades

Devastating news and a real blow for widening access and equality. University access scheme loses third of its budget in latest cuts. #HigherEducation #UniConnect #WideningAccess timeshighereducation.com/news/universit… via Times Higher Education

🗣️Prof Graeme Atherton, head of CEILUP and NEON says Uni Connect access scheme's £20 million funding cut comes at 'exactly the wrong time'.

More 👇
timeshighereducation.com/news/universit…

New Guardian article evaluates the progress of Levelling Up's 12 missions. Three have gone backwards - incl health, housing and pride - three have stalled - education skills and well-being - and only one has improved - devolution. See more below 👇

theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/a…

Great article on how Labour could Level Up by John Harris from The Guardian.

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

For more on this, see our collected edition 'How Can Labour Level Up' here: uwl.ac.uk/sites/uwl/file…

✒️Great report by The Productivity Institute seeking to establish a new accountability framework for devolution in England.

My thoughts on The Labour Party and the metro mayors at today's UK in a Changing Europe Lunch Hour.

Good discussion this evening on London and levelling up with Uni of West London vc and great panellists including Jack Brown Joe Dromey Jon Tabbush and Joe Fyans

You don’t level up the country by levelling down our capital

Thanks Centre for Inequality & Levelling Up Uni of West London for the invite to this important event. Good to hear HE touched upon – both the role of #LondonHE as a driver of #socialmobility and, as Uni of Greenwich noted in the discussion, the ‘cost of learning’ for HE students as a levelling up challenge

Top Uni of West London Centre for Inequality & Levelling Up research symposium on #London & #LevellingUp hosted by Rupa Huq MP & Prof Graeme Atherton great panellists including Joe Dromey Jon Tabbush Jack Brown Joe Fyans & lots of good discussion.
You don’t level up the country by levelling down our capital!

Good to speak at the Centre for Inequality & Levelling Up research symposium on London after Levelling Up.

London contains both great wealth and grinding poverty. It’s the most unequal region in the UK, with the highest levels of poverty.

London needs Levelling Up too! ⬆️

Last night we went to the Parliamentary Research Symposium: London after Levelling Up?

We loved being part of an event where inequalities, opportunities, and the future of London were discussed

Thank you to the speakers, Uni of West London and Centre for Inequality & Levelling Up for such an inspiring event!