State of the North 2020/21: Power up, level up, rise up
Article
Last year’s State of the North report revealed the extent of the UK’s deep regional divides. This year, we consider what this means for people in the North, asking who is most impacted by these pre-existing divides, and by policies that seek to change them.
Covid-19 has thrown our long-term inequities and lack of resilience into a stark spotlight. A recovery that simply restores the old order would be unsustainable and – for many – unacceptable.
In this report we set out some of the ways in which the North’s economy does not, currently, create the conditions for a good life for everyone in the region – and how a truly ‘levelled up’ North might look.
In an extraordinary year, as we experience a global pandemic and approach Brexit, we propose a series of ‘tests’ to help define ‘levelling up’ and increase accountability for initiatives that seek to rebalance – or ‘level up’ – the regions of England and the UK.
Related items
Spring statement: A changed world calls for a changed course
If there are decades where nothing happens and there are weeks where decades happen, the last few weeks feel seismic. The prime minister was right to say the world has changed. Donald Trump’s re-election in November has unleashed a wave…2030 and beyond: Great British Energy's role in the green transition
The UK government created Great British Energy to help deliver secure, clean and affordable electricity.Who is losing learning? Finding solutions to the school engagement crisis
An alarming number of children are missing out on the social and educational benefits of school.