03 Feb 2022
The UK government has unveiled its Levelling Up strategy, which aims to improve services such as education, broadband and transport.
Every part of England will have access to 'London-style' powers and a mayor if they want it, according to the Levelling Up strategy. The plans will bring all existing initiatives together into 12 'national missions' and set up a system for measuring progress.
Among the 12 missions are promises to increase pay, employment and productivity in all areas of the UK, with each one containing a 'globally competitive city'.
The Levelling Up strategy also pledges to raise public investment in research and development outside the south-east of England by 40%.
Matthew Fell, Chief Policy Director at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said: 'The Levelling Up White Paper is a serious assessment of the regional inequalities which have hamstrung the UK's economic potential for generations.
'It offers a blueprint for how government can be rewired and an encouraging basis for how the private sector can bring the investment and innovation to start overcoming those deep-rooted challenges, and power long term prosperity for every community, wherever they live.'