The Labour Party has launched a local elections campaign predicated on its new localist Industrial Strategy for growth. This follows 16 years of terrible national growth performance and the cost of living crisis.

National productivity figures are woefully poor and declining. The Conservative Government's performance since 2010 – tinkering with the principles of an Industrial Strategy, but opting instead for Levelling-Up, having introduced austerity and the significant managed decline in public services – has left its toll of impending doom for the party at the ballot box.