The North calls for levelling up to be ‘hard-wired into UK law’ at Convention of the North

Northern Mayors, civic and business leaders are calling on the Government and Opposition to commit to ‘hard-wiring’ levelling up into UK law. This would mean a move away from the current competitive bidding systems for Government funding, which picks winners and losers, to a settlement where all regions have the funding they need to close the gaps in living standards and help grow the UK economy as a whole.

The call follows the Government’s Levelling Up Fund announcement last week, which saw some local authorities receive short-term pots of money for local projects but many councils also losing out. The Levelling Up Secretary and Shadow Secretary, Michael Gove MP and Lisa Nandy MP, are due address the annual Convention of the North in Manchester on Wednesday.

The plan to hard-wire levelling up in to UK law takes inspiration from Germany, where the Constitution guarantees equivalent living standards and strong local leadership. This approach would help the North to unlock the potential of its assets, boost its contribution to UK plc and improve the lives of people across the region.

Closing the gaps will be vital not only to improving outcomes for millions of people throughout the North West, North East and Yorkshire & the Humber, but also to growing the UK economy as a whole.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “If we were able to close the gaps between the North and London and the South East, we’d see drastic improvements in everything from incomes to skills, to ultimately boosting life expectancy. This would of course be good for people in the North, but would also help grow the UK economy as a whole.

Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council and Co-Chair of Convention of the North, said: “Across the North, we still too often face disparities of wealth, health and opportunity that could be redressed through a long-term approach to investment and infrastructure.

“For Levelling Up to be a coherent and effective policy, rather than a mere slogan, it needs to move away from being a competitive bidding process with the rationale for decisions unclear to a consistent, long-term approach which directs more funding to the areas which need it most and gives them control over how they best use it.”

North of Tyne Mayor, Jamie Driscoll, said: “You can’t level up by pouring a load of concrete. We need to level up our people too. This takes long-term thinking and a baked-in commitment to strategic investment. In my patch we have shown what’s possible, creating 4,600 new jobs in 3.5 years and increasing adult skills enrolments by 50 per cent.”

Sir Roger Marsh, chair of the NP11 and co-chair of Convention of the North, said: “Levelling up and devolution go hand in hand. They need to be hard-wired into our economic approach, with collaboration between local and national government, across boundaries, and with business and industry as real partners.By doing this the North can realise its enormous potential as a driving force for UK growth.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “We need a real plan for levelling up, enshrined in law, that requires decent living standards for everybody across the UK. This would mean trusting local leaders with long-term funding pots to make decisions on what is best for the communities they know and serve.”

Convention of the North is the region’s major annual gathering, bringing together business, political and civic leaders to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the North. As well as key figures from the Government and Opposition, the Convention will hear from Northern Mayors, Council Leaders, leading businesspeople and representatives of the VCSE sector as the North shapes its agenda for 2023.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily