The flaw in Boris’s levelling up agenda

Regional agencies pumping money into research and development. Targets for education and healthcare. Another layer of meddling local government, and possibly a new bus route or two. The government plans for ‘levelling up’ unveiled today are a mixture of 1960s statism, which could have been taken straight from Harold Wilson’s government, mixed up with some wishful thinking. But don’t despair: there is a far better strategy. The Tories should simply offer some meaningful tax breaks and incentives and let the private sector do the hard work for us.

That approach can’t be worse than what has been offered up by the government. Even by the recent dismal standards of the Johnson administration the ‘levelling up’ plans outlined today are thin stuff. Hardly any new money is committed to closing the differences in wealth, education, healthcare and opportunities between the different regions of the UK. There are no bold new policies. And the government is mistaken to think that simply enshrining a target in law makes any difference, especially as none of the ministers involved are likely to still be around in 2030.