The North East’s leading business organisation has told the two candidates to be Conservative leader not to backtrack on the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.
In a letter to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak - one of whom will become Prime Minister in around six weeks’ time - North East England Chamber of Commerce chief executive John McCabe calls on the candidates to “demonstrate Levelling Up in action and show that you genuinely speak on behalf of all places and people across the UK.” The letter comes amid growing disquiet that levelling up has figured only on the fringes of the Tory leadership debate so far, with most of the candidates prioritising tax cuts and debating gender identity.
Mr McCabe’s letter warns that tax cuts mustn’t undermine public services in the North East, saying that reductions in those services often harm businesses and lower productivity. He also calls for better funding for further education, action to reduce growing levels of child poverty in the North East and better transport services for the region.
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Mr McCabe says: “The new Prime Minister represents the immediate future leadership of the UK. They have an unparalleled opportunity to make the North East an exemplar of Levelling Up, an agenda that the Chamber has supported long before the phrase itself was used. By backing the priorities of businesses in the North East they can demonstrate Levelling Up in action and show that they genuinely speak on behalf of all places and people across the UK.
“These calls from the business community in the region are evidence-led, pragmatic and proportionate to the scale of opportunity presented by the region. We urge both candidates, regardless of the outcomes of the race, to commit to work with us and our members for a stronger, fairer North East.”
Ms Truss and Mr Sunak are battling it out to become the next Prime Minister after getting through a number of rounds of votes from Tory MPs. The party’s membership, thought to number around 160,000, will now decide its next leader.
Both candidates will take part in a BBC TV debate on Monday, July 25, followed by another on Sky on Thursday, August 4. There will also be hustings for Conservative members around the country, including one in Darlington on Tuesday, August 9.
Business and political leaders in the North East have frequently expressed frustration in recent years that the Government has not backed the region, and there are fears that the change in leadership could affect negotiations for a larger devolution deal in the North East. Former Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has told Mr Sunak and Ms Truss that “you have to be committed to levelling up”.
The chamber’s letter highlights its support for the North East devolution bid and asks Mr Sunak and Ms Truss to ensure that “no further time is lost and Government takes all necessary steps to back a deal fit for our region”. It also highlights the need to support green jobs, invest in rail links and reform the Apprenticeship Levy.
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