Displaying items by tag: levelling up

Rishi Sunak has faced sharp criticism for cancelling the northern leg of HS2, but he refuses to apologise. The PM defended the decision, stating that the cost had doubled, and he believes the new plan will benefit more people and places. He emphasised that the £36 billion saved from this project would be reinvested in various forms of transportation and across the country. While some expressed concerns about the impact on investors and the stop-start approach to infrastructure projects, Sunak disagreed and believed that it wouldn't deter investments. In his speech, Sunak positioned himself as a leader of change despite his party's long tenure in power. His decision to cancel the northern leg of HS2 has met with mixed reactions, with some northern leaders feeling left out of the process and others questioning the funding and strategic planning of alternative transport schemes.

The government's 332-page Levelling Up White Paper,published on 2 February, aims to ‘change the economic model of the UK’. The areas for improvement are as follows: pay, employment and productivity to rise; more investment in research and development; public transport connectivity everywhere to be closer to the standards of London; nationwide 4G broadband coverage, with the majority having 5G coverage;more primary school children achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths; more people completing high-quality skills training; the gap in life expectancy between highest and lowest narrowed; well-being improved everywhere; people engaging more in local culture and community; secure paths to ownership for renters; first-time buyers increasing; homicide, serious violence, and neighbourhood crime to fall in the worst-affected areas. Boris Johnson said levelling up would involve investing in towns, cities, rural and coastal areas. He has created a brand-new government department dedicated to these proposals. However, the Institute of Economic Affairs described them as dubious in quality.

Michael Gove admitted that people in some areas have been ‘overlooked and undervalued’ by Westminster for years. Truro Foodbank is in one of the poorest UK areas; its manager said levelling up won't be effective unless low wages are addressed. Many in Cornwall are not on a national pay structure, so have 23% less pay. They have higher water bills because of the coastal areas and now there are rising utility bills. He said, ‘Financial pressure comes from how much your income is, and what you've got to pay out. 66% of the people receiving foodbank parcels are on low incomes. Levelling up will see 5G mobile data coverage for the “large majority” of households. But this will mean little to struggling households. There’s an expectation that everyone has a smartphone. Those who haven’t are disadvantaged because they can't even make an application for help in the first place.’