State of the North 2021/22: Powering northern excellence

Article

Two years on from the UK government’s promise to level up, the rhetoric has reached fever pitch, but its definition and the policies to deliver it remain elusive.

This year’s State of the North report highlights the gap between promises and reality on levelling up. We need to further empower those across the North who are already levelling up for themselves, and make sure no place or community is left behind.

To underpin this objective we provide three missions for a prosperous North that offer a clear roadmap for central government, mayors, combined authorities, local government and communities to ensure levelling up succeeds, and the North can thrive:

  • building a new economy that promotes widespread prosperity
  • making the North the engine of the net zero transition
  • providing everyone with access to high-quality, life-long education.

Related items

  1. The Bank of England is watched over by a statue of the Duke of Wellington seated on his horse

    Fixing the leak: How to end the £22 billion annual taxpayer losses at the Bank of England

    The Bank of England increased its interest rates over recent years, aimed at reducing inflation. But this has also had an unintended effect on the Bank of England’s massive government bond buying – ‘quantitative easing’ – programme. 
  2. A two way street with busy traffic of driving cars and double-decker buses in autumn

    Fairer is faster: The route to greener and healthier domestic transport

    The government can speed up efforts to decarbonise transport by targeting the highest emitters.
  3. View of Bank of England, Royal Exchange, and Duke of Wellington equestrian statue (1844) with skyscrapers and construction in background.

    Navigating in the fog: Why the OBR should hold its nerve on the productivity forecast

    The fiscal watchdog is under pressure to downgrade its forecast, costing the chancellor billions – but this would be premature.