Johnson admits UK economy was unbalanced before the pandemic
Boris Johnson has admitted the UK economy was “unbalanced” before the pandemic hit.
The Prime Minister has promised to “rewrite the rulebook” and even invited ideas from the public in a speech on the UK Government’s levelling-up agenda.
Speaking at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in Coventry, he criticised the unequal quality of life in different parts of the UK.
He said: “We need to say from the beginning that, before the pandemic began, the UK had and still has a more unbalanced economy than almost all our immediate competitors in Europe.
“And when I say unbalanced, I mean that for too many people, geography turns out to be destiny.
“Take life expectancy, even before Covid hit.
“It is an outrage that a man in Glasgow or Blackpool has an average of ten years less on this planet than someone growing up in Hart in Hampshire or in Rutland.
“I don’t know what people do in Rutland to live to prestigious ages, who knows, but they do. There is glaring imbalance.
“No one believes – I don’t believe, you don’t believe – there is a basic difference in the potential of babies born across this country.
“Everybody knows that talent, energy and enthusiasm and flare are evenly spread across the UK.
“It is opportunity that is not, and it is the mission of this government to unite and level up
across the whole of the UK, not just because that is morally right, but because if we fail we are simply squandering vast reserves of human capital and we are failing to allow people to fulfil their potential and we are holding our country back.”
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of business and claimed more needed to be done to get more companies in Britain.
He said: “Yes, business overwhelmingly
chooses Britain for all sorts of good reasons – and it was good to see the stock market recover its edge over Amsterdam the other day – but now is the time to do even better.”
In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Johnson also hinted at extra powers to councils so they are on the same level as metro mayors.
He said: “We want local leaders to come forward, but obviously with these powers
must come responsibility and accountability.
“That’s what we want to see and people taking charge of their local area, leading it, and not just seeking opportunities to point out differences between themselves and central government, but actually takingresponsibilityforproblems and solving them with our help.”
Mr Johnson also promised to empower strong local leaders by taking a more flexible
approach to devolution.the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation questioned how “levelling up” sat with cutting Universal Credit.
Foundation deputy director of policy and partnerships Katie Schmuecker said: “Can a government that intends to cut the incomes of the poorest families in just a few weeks’ time really claim to be levelling up?”