Michael Gove urged to explain Levelling Up White Paper 'hold up' by select committee chairs

Select committee chairmen and Labour MPs Clive Betts and Darren Jones have jointly written to Levelling Up Secretary Mr Gove after it was confirmed the long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper will not be published until 2022 having previously been promised for this year. The Government has said it will be published in January.

The letter states: “We understand from reports in the media that the long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper will now be delayed until January 2022 – having already been delayed as the ‘Devolution and Local Recovery White Paper’ from autumn 2020 and then as the ‘Levelling Up White Paper’ promised in September 2021.

“The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee recently received the Government’s response to its report on post-pandemic economic growth: Levelling up, and the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee took evidence from you with direct questions on levelling up only last month. In light of this, we would like to know why this delay was not mentioned to either committee.

“It would also be useful to understand what is holding up the publication of such an integral part of the Government’s policy agenda.

“It would also be helpful if you could provide more detail about when in January the White Paper will be published.”

They have asked Mr Gove to respond by January 6.

The letter comes as polling carried out by Opinium for the New Economics Foundation (NEF) found 58 per cent of people across the country, including 63 per cent in the North, have seen no evidence of ‘levelling up’ in their community since the 2019 general election. In areas where the Conservatives gained seats in 2019, 64 per cent of people have seen no evidence of ‘levelling up’.

The polling also shows that only 20 per cent of people feel better off compared to two years ago, with only four per cent of people saying that they feel considerably better off since the election.

Alfie Stirling, director of research and chief economist at NEF, said: “These results show that the Government’s handling of the pandemic has led to the richest families and regions getting richer, while the poorest families are even poorer.

“With prices expected to continue increasing, the threat of a rise in interest rates and ongoing effects of Brexit, things could get a lot tougher for families that have already suffered most.

“In the long run, any agenda to tackle these issues needs to grasp the fundamental drivers of regional inequalities for places, people, and industry.”

A Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “The Government’s central mission is to level up every part of the United Kingdom by spreading opportunity, empowering local leaders and improving public services.

“£187m from the Levelling Up Fund will go towards ten projects in Yorkshire and the Humber, including £20m to build leisure facilities that will create careers and skills opportunities in Bradford, and £19.5m to regenerate Hull City Centre.

“We have prioritised bids from places in need and will fund multiple projects in every nation of the UK and in every region of England. There will be a further opportunity for places to reapply in round two of the Levelling Up Fund, which will be opened in Spring 2022.”

Yorkshire mayors and business leaders issue levelling up warning to Boris Johnson

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