Local economies
Level up basic skills to 'build back better', says CPP
Levelling up basic skills could boost employment by up to 302,000 in the most deprived local authorities, according to new analysis by the Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP).
The risks of Sunak’s freeports
The freeports policy is poised to be a main plank of the levelling up agenda. But there are concerns they could become hotspots for organised crime and money laundering – risks that could lead to significant extra burdens for councils. Paul Marinko reports.
The potential of new social value measures is huge
The impact of the UK Government’s new social value measures should not be underestimated, as they prioritise what’s important, according to David Dinsdale.
What next for placemaking? A checklist for local leadership teams
A new paper lays out an agenda for local economic renewal post COVID and Brexit, along with seven practical steps for leadership teams to consider, says David Marlow.
LEPs: delivering on jobs and diversity
Local enterprise partnerships have worked across boundaries and borders to help create or preserve almost 18,000 jobs, and as Stacey King explains, they have also made great strides on diversity.
Behind the levelling up smoke and mirrors
The Government’s flagship super-deduction policy stands to benefit London and the South East the most, says Ben Franklin – and it is not explicitly targeted at the most deprived communities in the capital.
Sparking a digital revolution in the Thames Estuary
Catalysing best-in-class digital infrastructure in the Thames Estuary is key to providing benefits for local residents, workers and visitors, says Kate Willard.
City leaders raise concerns over levelling up fund
Council leaders have questioned the how effective the Government’s levelling up fund will prove to be.
A Beveridge-sized challenge for local government
Michael Burton says planning for the aftermath of the pandemic 'need not wait until the number of cases is in single figures just as Beveridge did not wait for the guns to fall silent before planning the welfare state'.
Sunderland’s big, bold, brave plan
Sunderland City Council is spearheading the vision for a new urban quarter that includes 1,000 homes, offices and a public sector hub – creating jobs and re-energising the city centre, says Patrick Melia.
We need to be careful that we don't 'level down'
If we are to build back better from COVID-19 then we can’t take our more prosperous cities for granted, argues chief executive of Centre for Cities Andrew Carter.
The data tells a clear story of what's needed to rebuild back better
South Lakeland has the highest percentage of furloughed employees in England. The gulf that exists between the criteria for levelling up funding and this set of economic circumstances is not lost on anyone locally, says Lawrence Conway.
Future Forum North: Councils should ‘box clever’
Local government was urged at The MJ’s Future Forum North to capitalise on the plaudits the sector has accrued for its work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Seizing the opportunity
Local authorities are setting their own devolution agenda, showing there’s no need to wait for the White Paper to push ahead, argue Jonathan House and Ben Pykett of PwC.
A locally-led revolution
The Teesside Freeport will be Britain’s biggest, and the policy could be the ‘great locally-led revolution of 21st century Britain’, argues mayor of the Tees Valley Ben Houchen.
Stronger, greener and fairer
Mark Bousfield explains how creative investment – both big and small – has paved the way to an exciting future for the Liverpool city region.
At the right level
As the heart of the UK's knowledge and biotech economies, Oxford urgently needs urban leadership powers to deliver regional growth crucial to national renewal and recovery, writes Jonathan Werran.
Real power has to be moved away from London
It's time to move real power away from London, not just government offices, argues Dr Arianna Giovannini.
Back where you started
We are 'finally starting to see through the fog of rhetoric on levelling up', says Sarah Longlands. What's emerging reveals the only winner from the competition prescription is central government, she adds.
Getting the balance right
While the Levelling Up Fund and Community Renewal Fund are further welcome additions to investment in recovery, the complexity and time-consuming nature of such bidding regimes must be of concern to local government, says Sheila Oxtoby.
