Fabian Society report shows the current approach to Levelling Up is not working - The Yorkshire Post says

This is clear from the Fabian Society’s 18-month Commission on Poverty and Regional Inequality.

Almost half of jobs growth since 2010 has been in London and the South East, while just two per cent was in the North East. It shows that London is overheating while other regions are getting left behind.

A lot of discourse around boosting growth in this country has omitted the central issue which is regional inequality.

Voters are losing faith in Levelling Up, a key policy proposal that helped deliver a majority for the Conservatives at the last General Election.

The report calls on the Government to implement a ‘London-style’ regulated buses across all of England, put councils in charge of childcare, devolve job centres and devolve significant economic powers to mayors and councils.

Poor transport infrastructure has long been an inhibitor to growth in the regions. It acts as a bar to social mobility with those wanting to further their careers often having to uproot to the South East. It puts off inward investment.

That is why The Yorkshire Post has long called for the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail in full, in conjunction with HS2 in full.

Buses also have an important role and the current network is simply too disparate for it to function effectively.

The report is right to call for new legislation to set aside an England-wide devolved economic development fund, for transport, skills, innovation and housing. Providing Mayors with economic powers so that they can spend public money wisely rather than it getting caught up in Whitehall is the right way to go about bridging regional inequality.