Slogans win elections, the fewer syllables the better; the more catchy the more memorable. Slogans can take back control, level-up the nation, get Brexit done, create strong and stable governments, and change Britain’s future.
Levelling up was one such slogan that emerged in the Conservatives’ 2019 election campaign; a loose promise of future undefined economic and social improvements across the nation (for the many, not the few?). The problem with slogans, especially when attached to single objectives, is that they often lack a policy backing. After all, well-considered and researched policy documents don’t win elections; outside of Westminster’s departmental buildings only politicos really consider reading and analysing such papers in-depth. Implementation is an after-thought.
Levelling up is a strong ambition for a country where well-paid jobs and highly-skilled workers cluster around London and the South East. For the rest of the UK life expectancy, birth rate, educational and employment opportunities, housing, and household income varies significantly between regions. Levelling up is not, however, about distributing wealth out of prosperous regions. But the Levelling Up White Paper (published in February 2022) makes a clear case for distributing power as a panacea to levelling up.
Indeed, the UK is the most centralised country in the G7, and studies have demonstrated that regional inequality is linked to the over-centralisation of power in Westminster. The idea to devolve power regionally to unravel over-centralisation is nothing new, of course; metro mayors and combined authorities were first introduced more than 20 years ago under New Labour. Levelling up is therefore proposing to accelerate a process already long underway, with an offer of devolution to every part of England that wants a deal by 2030.
It’s time for real change
The first to be announced under the branding of levelling up is a new North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA), expanding the existing but more geographically-limited North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), to include a region extending from Durham to the Scottish border in Northumberland. If ratified, the new combined authority and Mayor will have broad powers over planning, housing development and region-wide transport plans. This will include the ability to acquire and dispose of land to build homes, commercial space, and infrastructure to drive growth and regeneration.
Given the key role house building can play in boosting regional economic growth, the levelling up remit behind the NEMCA will likely accelerate construction in the North East and build on an existing memorandum of understanding between the NTCA and Homes England to increase investment into brownfield development. The difficult task for the future Mayor will be ensuring that development is spread across the NEMCA region and not just in urban areas where brownfield land is more prevalent.
This will be made more challenging by revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) being introduced alongside the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill that will require a 35% urban uplift in pre-determined urban areas, including Newcastle upon Tyne, in lieu of nation-wide housing targets. While the Mayor will have the power to acquire and dispose of land for housing, this will still require the agreement of the constituent councils. Securing housing development outside of urban brownfield land could be an uphill battle without the backing of national planning policies.
Don’t just hope for a better life, vote for one
Levelling up began as a transactional slogan; a way to offer something in return to red wall seats situated in largely post-industrial “left behind” constituencies in exchange for turning blue. Devolution is part of the solution to regional economic disparities, not the cure, and its implementation is a lengthy process lasting well beyond the standard general election cycles. Integrating regional economies to boost prosperity will take even longer.