A group of North East business leaders have come together to form an informal advisory group on levelling up.
The Government finally published its long-awaited White Paper on Levelling Up at the start of the month, highlighting issues needed to counter regional disparities while also setting a timeframe in which to achieve its ambitions.
Leaders from 20 businesses representing a range of sectors in the North East have met to discuss the Government’s preliminary proposals, at a lunchtime event at NetPark, Sedgefield, County Durham, sponsored by Square One Law.
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The White Paper sets out the scale of current disparity between UK regions including in productivity, pay and health. It points out, for example, that men and women in certain areas can expect 12 fewer healthy years of life on average than those in the best-performing.
The report details 12 specific policy missions to be achieved by 2030, including devolution deals for every part of England that wants one; an increase in pay, employment and productivity across the UK while reducing regional gaps; seeking to boost investment outside the South East and a rise in overall number of first-time homebuyers.
Members of the advisory group include senior figures from companies including Tier One Capital, NE1, Naylors Gavin Black, Lanchester Wines, Kromek, Turntide, Beyond Housing and Changing Lives.
The group discussed a range of issues raised by the white paper including: the so-called ‘brain drain’ and how to reverse it; developing regional innovation; and the role of civil society in helping to deliver levelling up.
It is now seeking to engage Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to discuss the issues in more detail.
Ian Gilthorpe, senior partner at Square One Law, said: “I want to thank the 20 business leaders who joined us to discuss the white paper in detail. As sector leaders operating in one of the regions where the concept of levelling up is most pertinent, we are well-placed to offer support to the government in achieving its ambitions.
“The white paper provides a good steer as to the government’s direction of travel, and it was good to have the ear of Paul Howell MP at our inaugural meeting. Now we need to see the meat on the bones of the proposal. The pledge to level up marks a potential seismic shift in the status quo, but it has created real expectation and this means that the government needs to step up and demonstrate its serious intent.
“The North East business community is ready and willing to help steer the Government in delivering a 21st Century renaissance in our region.”
Paul Howell, Conservative MP for Sedgefield and a member of the House of Commons Business Select Committee, was at the meeting.
He added: “Before I was an MP I spent 40 years in business, but every business is different. That’s why it’s important to listen to what all businesses want and need from the levelling up agenda. I am happy to support this initiative and will be glad to feed back its findings to Michael Gove.”
