Levelling Up
A major opportunity for an innovative region
First it was devolution, now the ‘Levelling Up’ agenda looks set to transform the way that England’s regions – including the Central South – are governed.
Westminster is inviting local authorities to table new deals for their area, which could see spending power transferred away from London, and decisions made more locally.
After the initial wave of City Deals, which included a successful joint bid by Portsmouth and Southampton, the agenda moved onto Devolution.
Plans for a Solent Devolution bid were submitted to Government but were not progressed, the region now has an opportunity to gain more devolved powers through the Levelling Up agenda.
Whilst considered more likely to benefit The Midlands and Northern England, it is crucial that the Central South secures its share and makes its voice heard.
Whether it is Devolution or the Levelling Up agenda that is being debated, the Southern Policy Centre continues to explore these topics.
It was founded by Professor John Denham and has a wide range of local and central government experts working together to champion the region and drive insightful and meaningful political engagement.
More details are available by visiting https://southernpolicycentre.co.uk/