Levelling-up policy of the Conservative government

"Levelling up" was a political policy first articulated in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto that aims to reduce the imbalances, primarily economic, between areas and social groups across the United Kingdom.[citation needed] As a newly elected MP, future Prime Minister Theresa May used the term during an education debate in the House of Commons in 1997.[6] Former Conservative MP for Putney Justine Greening said in 2021 that she invented the term "levelling up" in 2014, while attempting to explain the concept of social mobility to her mother.[7] In her acceptance speech after securing her seat in the 2015 general election, Greening pledged to focus "on making sure we have a levelled up Britain where everyone can achieve their potential wherever they start, wherever they're born".Johnson also included social and quality of life issues such as fighting gang crime, obesity, mental health, uneven life-expectancy and excessive elective surgery waiting times within the wider levelling up agenda.[15][16] The 2021 Queen's Speech announced that the Government will "level up opportunities across all parts of the United Kingdom, supporting jobs, businesses and economic growth and addressing the impact of the pandemic on public services".[19] Former Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane was appointed as the head of the Levelling Up Taskforce, operating in the Cabinet Office in conjunction with 15 civil servants from various departments.[13][19] In his October 2021 Conservative Party Conference speech, Prime Minister Boris Johnson again emphasised the policy, saying "uniting and levelling up across the UK [is] the greatest project that any government can embark on."While Centre for Cities argued that the policy of Levelling Up would prove a useful mechanism for Truss' economic growth agenda, UK in a Changing Europe noted that this did not align with her commitments to reducing government investment, or proposals around regional pay for public servants.[40] The White Paper lists 12 missions, aimed to be achieved by 2030:[41] Areas of England that will have the choice of devolution include Cornwall, Derbyshire & Derby; Devon, Plymouth and Torbay; Durham; Hull & East Yorkshire; Leicestershire; Norfolk; Nottinghamshire & Nottingham; and Suffolk.[46] Following the initial announcement of the policy in 2020, a number of think-tanks, charities and politicians criticised the levelling up funds for being insufficient and centrally managed, rather than being controlled by regions.[53] The IPPR wrote "With £1 in every £13 of the LUF and SPF now expected to be lost to inflation, cancelling, scaling back or pausing infrastructure investment is inevitable without additional support."[54] The white paper has been scrutinised by former Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Lisa Nandy,[55] Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram,[56] The Times[57] and the Institute for Fiscal Studies.