We have seen genuine levelling up being delivered in our constituencies thanks to the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT).
The Chancellor’s announcement about investment zones shows that, far from being dead, levelling up is alive and kicking in those places with the ambition to deliver.
It may be the season of goodwill but many councils deserve a lump of coal after their misuse of public money.
We have Rugby’s Lego Trail, a pop-up beach in Stoke, and Wigan splashing out £125,000 on social media campaigning.
Children in care are denied the opportunities available to others. Levelling up must include transforming their life chances.
With new leadership in many local areas, there is lots of potential for bold and innovative ways to save money.
Greater clarity in the tendering process has allowed us to achieve value for money and to back local businesses.
Put simply, it is the “where” of decisions – it helps policy makers to see where, and how, to focus effort, direct investment and encourage economic activity.
Plus: Stoke cuts bloated management. Would Thatcher have approved of £100,000 of public funds for her statue?
The first of a ConHome series this week on Boris Johnson’s Reset Moment – and what should follow from it.
Leaving the European Union presents us with a historic opportunity to create a healthier environment for ourselves and future generations.
Death is not a statistical data point, and the loss of life of a mother, a father, a child, and a key worker can never be filled.
De-industrialisation has led to a high number of empty properties. But we now have more housing completions than the average London borough.
We have a university system where 34 per cent of graduates don’t get graduate jobs and which subsidises unlimited courses in media studies.
My area is rich in ambition but poor in educational opportunity, children are falling behind their peers around the rest of the country.