Levelling up needs to tackle 'southern privilege', former Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry says

Chair of the Northern Research Group of MPs Jake Berry told a Conservative Party fringe event that the scale of the task when it comes to closing the disparity gap between north and south is as large now as it was between East and West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Levelling up is a key focus at this year’s annual conference event, with many trying to define the Conservatives’ key mantra that helped them sweep to victory across the Red Wall.

Speaking at an Institute for Government event on levelling up and the impact on health, Mr Berry told attendees: “We need a much narrower definition which is about narrowing that north south divide.

“Let’s be clear that the income disparity between living in the north and the south of England in terms of GDP per capita [...] is the same now as between East and West Germany before the Berlin Wall came down.

“That’s how big the challenge is.”

Mr Berry called for levelling up policies and schemes to work towards challenging the concept that outcomes and opportunities will be greater for those born in the south.

He explained: "For me, levelling up is about reversing what I call the idea of southern privilege, the fact that you’re born in the south of England means that you will live longer, you will earn more money, you will have better health outcomes.

"Like many other forms of privilege people in the south don’t know that [...] I’m sure their life feels very hard because they do have to pay for child care and mortgages and excessive transport cost, but in truth if we’re going to reverse that north south divide we need to end the fact that you are privileged just because of your geography.

“Why should my kids in Lancashire go to a worse school than Michael Gove’s kids in Surrey Heath?” he asked.

Later on Monday the conference will hear from newly-appointed Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove when he makes his main speech to the Manchester conference.