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UK Government Announces Levelling Up Policy

10 February 2022379 views0

The UK government released a long-awaited levelling up paper for the country, a strategy with 12 key missions for improving all walks of life for the nation by 2030:

Pay, employment and productivity will have risen in every area of the UK, with each containing a globally competitive city, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.
Domestic public investment in R&D outside the Greater South East will increase by at least 40% and at least one third over the Spending Review period, with that additional government funding seeking to leverage at least twice as much private sector investment over the long term to stimulate innovation and productivity growth.
Local public transport connectivity across the country will be significantly closer to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing.
The UK will have nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage, with 5G coverage for the majority of the population.
The number of primary school children achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths will have significantly increased. In England, this will mean 90% of children will achieve the expected standard, and the percentage of children meeting the expected standard in the worst performing areas will have increased by over a third.
The number of people successfully completing high-quality skills training will have significantly increased in every area of the UK. In England, this will lead to 200,000 more people successfully completing high-quality skills training annually, driven by 80,000 more people completing courses in the lowest skilled areas.
The gap in Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) between local areas where it is highest and lowest will have narrowed, and by 2035 HLE will rise by 5 years.
Well-being will have improved in every area of the UK, with the gap between top performing and other areas closing.
Pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.
Renters will have a secure path to ownership with the number of first-time buyers increasing in all areas; and the government’s ambition is for the number of non-decent rented homes to have fallen by 50%, with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas.
Homicide, serious violence, and neighbourhood crime will have fallen, focused on the worst-affected areas.
Every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution and a simplified, long-term funding settlement.

The full report, along with an official 17 page summary, can be accessed through the gov.uk website, here.

National media outlets ran headlines that best suited the readership agenda, opting to run stories on a polarising element and leaving out the broader ideas within the report.