Time to level with us on director jobs

THEY’RE roles described as a “once-in-a lifetime opportunity” to fix deep-seated local issues and help hold government to account for the delivery of its levelling up missions.

Back in March, the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities launched the hunt for 12 “levelling up directors” to oversee the government’s flagship agenda across the UK.

Then-levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said the directors, who would be offered salaries of up to £144,000 to work in regions like the North East, the North West and Yorkshire and Humber, would “play a critical function in empowering decision-making in local areas”.

But seven months on – and with April 18 the deadline to apply for the roles – not a single Levelling Up Director has yet been appointed. Asked for an update, the department told The Northern Agenda it was “in the process of recruitment and more details will be available in due course”.

According to Andy Westwood, Professor of Government Practice at the University of Manchester, the Government is looking for savings ahead of its next fiscal statement and “these jobs (plus supporting staff, infrastructure etc) could well be for the chop”.

But he said: “On the other hand it could just be slow processes that haven’t been signed off by changing guard at No 10, there are lots of examples of this in other areas over summer too.”

The former senior government advisor added: “There’s also the question – say if you’ve been lined up to get one of these jobs – whether you’d want it now?

“Levelling up definitely isn’t what it was and the seniority of people that might be up for these kinds of jobs must be having second thoughts too?”

During Conservative party conference in Birmingham, ministers like Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison, pictured, were at pains to insist the crisis-hit Liz Truss administration was still committed to the idea of spreading opportunity outside London.

But elsewhere there are fears another element of the levelling up agenda – the hosting of the new HQ for Great British Railways (GBR) – is also about to be scrapped.

York, Newcastle, Crewe and Doncaster are on the shortlist to host the headquarters for GBR, the new public sector body that will oversee Britain’s railways.

An online public vote on the shortlisted locations closed in August and all six areas were visited by a Minister ahead of a decision set to be made by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

But two months on, Mr Shapps is no longer in Government and amid reports the reform of the railways is to be scrapped there are now fears GBR’S new base will never be announced.