‘Levelling up’ the UK: reinforcing the policy agenda

Abstract

In early 2022, the UK government published its White Paper on Levelling Up the UK, arguably the most important spatial policy document for more than 80 years. There is much that is innovative in the White Paper, but also some key limitations and weaknesses. At a time of economic and political upheaval in the UK, it is imperative that the levelling up agenda in the White Paper is not de-prioritized or submerged by other challenges, but is used as the foundation for a truly radical approach to reducing geographical economic inequalities across the country. Our focus in this article, therefore, is one of constructive criticism, to argue how some of the fundamental aspects of the White Paper need to be reinforced and emboldened if the policy is not to fail.