North East MP works closely with Northumbria academics to challenge investment plans to level up the region

Research from Professors Joyce Liddle and John Shutt of Northumbria University has helped to inform Labour MP Kevan Jones’ recently published report on Levelling Up.

Presented at the event on Friday July 1st, The report looks at regional spending and provides a detailed case study of County Durham and the North East. Among the compiled findings, the report revealed that the North East has received the smallest increase in identifiable public spending since 2008/09, compared to other regions.

Jones said: “My analysis shows that successive governments since 2010 have made disproportionate reductions in the funding allocated to County Durham and the rest of the North East compared to the rest of the UK.

“This impacts the spending power of local Councils, and also affects services like health and transport which are vital to the people of the region.”

An engaging question and answer session on local and regional development took place after the presentation, with the event attracting attendance from high profile figures across the city region.

Professor Liddle highlighted the need for parliamentary focus on the North East, and for new initiatives to follow Brexit: “There is a need for a debate in the region about future investment plans related to the new funds for regeneration and levelling up and replacing European funds with UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

“Allocated funding, competitive bidding, special deals and procurement all need re-examining going forward. The new Insights North East initiative will focus on these issues in the period ahead.”

Professor Shutt added: “Current plans for devolution are still uncertain and are holding back new investment. Stronger integration is required between programmes and future plans.”

Professors Liddle and Shutt, along with Dr Gareth Addidle of Bradford University, were recently commissioned to edit a special edition of the peer-reviewed Local Economy journal on the Levelling Up policy, having recently won a Best Paper prize in the Regional Studies Journal Policy Debates on transborder relational leadership after Brexit.