Make our voices heard loud and clear for this plan to work
AS the Prime Minister toured the country promoting the benefits of the Levelling Up agenda, it is important to focus on what are the real challenges across the country and to be mindful that one size does not fit all.
With this in mind, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) recently welcomed Tim Jarvis, HM Treasury’s director of companies and economic security, and Faith Quigley, deputy director of housing, planning and cities, to discuss the Government’s Levelling Up agenda, meeting local firms across a range of sectors about what the process actually means for Greater Birmingham.
Following this meeting, Raj Kandola, head of policy at the GBCC, said: “In 2020, the West Midlands had the third highest unemployment rate in the country and the highest proportion of people without qualifications in England.
“As such, the Levelling Up agenda will no doubt bring a multitude of opportunities to unlock the potential of Greater Birmingham, create thousands of jobs, upskill our population, and strengthen our regional economy.”
Meetings such as this are critical to the success of the agenda.
The Government not only must hear what is being felt, experienced and needed at grass roots level, but also truly listen.
We therefore have a responsibility to step up and engage.
There are many distractions to draw our attention away from this discussion, whether they are as a result of pressures within our own businesses or distractions by competing news stories, the subjects of which, in truth, we have little control over.
With the Levelling Up agenda we must have a voice. No one understands the region better than those who live and work in it. Levelling Up should never be something that is “done” to us.
As expected, the Levelling Up agenda brings the usual yin/yang of does it do what it says on the tin, or is it “smoke and mirrors” as challenged by Shadow Levelling Up Secretary Lisa Nandy, who has accused ministers of “cobbling together a shopping list of recycled policies and fiddling the figures”.
The claim by Michael Gove is that
this is a “landmark” plan for levelling up the country, improving the lives of those outside of London and the South East – ultimately “changing the economic model of this country”. The statement is bold but what does it mean?
The government has committed £150 billion across all departments and the 332-page Levelling Up White Paper aims at 12 levelling up missions:
n Pay, employment and productivity to have risen in every area of the UK by 2030 with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.
n Investment in Research and Development to increase by 40 per cent across the North, Midlands, South West, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
n Local public transport connectivity across the country to be significantly closer to the standards of London with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing.
n UK to have nationwide gigabitcapable broadband and 4G coverage by 2030 - with 5G coverage for the majority.
n Number of primary school children achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths will have significantly increased to 90 per cent.
n Number of people successfully completing high-quality skills training will have significantly increased in every area of the UK.
n By 2030, the gap in Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) between local areas where it is highest and lowest will have narrowed, and by 2035 HLE will rise by five years.
n Well-being will have improved in every area of the UK, with the gap between top performing and other areas closing.
n Pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK.
n Renters will have a secure path to ownership with the number of first-time buyers increasing in all areas.
n By 2030, homicide, serious violence, and neighbourhood crime will have fallen, focused on the worst-affected areas.
n Every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution and a simplified, long-term funding settlement.
Whatever the truth politically, this region will benefit.
For Wolverhampton this will result in the revival of the city and wider Wolverhampton to Walsall corridor. In Wolverhampton building on the government’s £20 million Levelling Up Fund investment and the new DLUHC headquarters in the city centre, and Cannock’s £20 million success which will secure its town centre regeneration.
We’ve all know the saying “when is a bargain not a bargain?”
Answer: “When you don’t need it.”
As business owners, employees and residents of this region, it would be ridiculous to ignore the benefits of the agenda, but it has to reflect not only what we want but what we need. It is therefore critical that the people and businesses of the region, engage, use their voices, their expertise and experience to inform the outcome of this agenda.
The Chambers across the region will continue to engage with the business community to make those voices heard.
Levelling Up should never be something that is ‘done’ to us