The central problem with 'levelling up' was that no one in government ever quite articulated what it meant. Was it the application of a lick of paint to dilapidated northern high streets, or did it entail a fundamental rewiring of the British economy? And if it was the latter, join the queue, mate.
It has been the avowed aim of practically every prime minister dating back a century to rebalance the economy and support regions left behind. More recently there have been Regional Development Agencies and Local Enterprise Partnerships, but even in the 1930s, the government invested in 'Special Areas' which sought to bring regeneration to run down places.
