Councils must be at the heart of the Government's levelling up agenda, a new report has argued today.

The LGiU think-tank said the Government's forthcoming White Paper must provide clarity on what the Government means by levelling up, offer complete transparency on why policy and funding decisions are made, and detail clear objectives and timescales.

It added that levelling up should go hand in hand with a decentralisation of power to local and sub-national governments, should reflect the priorities of and differences between local authorities, and must go beyond investing in hard infrastructure projects.

LGiU chief executive Jonathan Carr-West said: ‘Levelling up can only be achieved by working with councils rather than going around them.'

'It can only be effective if it is delivered in partnership with empowered and empowering councils.

'If we miss that opportunity it risks being remembered as an empty political slogan.'