For months, levelling up, the policy that defines this Government and will win or lose it the next election, has been criticised for being amorphous, vague, a slogan left over from the 2019 election and a catch-all soundbite, an aspiration rather than a practical ambition.

The appointment of Michael Gove, a radical Tory with an unusual mix of a decade of Cabinet experience, coupled with a thoughtful intellect, who will put some welly into this blurred vision changes the landscape. His appointment as levelling up secretary with a cross-Whitehall brief also offers local government a key, if not leading, role in delivering this important agenda, which despite its trite title, is only new wine in old bottles.