Lack of ambition risks failure for levelling up say leading voices

Without long term commitment, a willingness to confront the deep-rooted inequalities and a radical rebalancing of power the government’s levelling up agenda risks missing its goals is the message from a new pamphlet from the Centre for Inequality and Leveling Up.

Bringing together leaders from politics, academia and civil society, ‘Can levelling up make a difference to inequality?‘ highlights the challenges that addressing regional inequalities faces in the context of the cost of living crisis and argues that cross sector working is essential. As the Levelling Up and Regeneration bill passes through parliament and the Labour Party set out their vision for a new Britain characterized by devolution and decentralization this pamphlet sheds light on the realities both parties will face if they are to make a difference to inequality in this country.

The contributions are taken from a seminar earlier this year at Ruskin College Oxford. It builds on over a century of history for the college as an engine of opportunity and a leader in progressive thought.

The contributors to the pamphlet included Philip Collins, associate editor of the New Statesman and Tony Blair’s ex-speech writer, Matt Leach, CEO of Local Trust; Professor Jonathan Michie, President of Kellogg College at the University of Oxford; Professor Graeme Atherton, Head of the Centre for Inequality and Levelling Up (CEILUP) and Professor Peter John CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of West London and Principal of Ruskin College.

As Professor Graeme Atherton, Head of CEILUP states:

‘Levelling up needs to become a cross party agenda that can produce a long term, fundamental change in the position of inequality on the political agenda and how it is addressed. Ruskin wants to play a significant role in this process’.

This pamphlet marks the first of a series of events at Ruskin College in 2023 bringing together leading figures from across academia, policy and both the public and private sectors to examine how we can address the challenges of levelling up and inequality in Britain.