Boris Johnson's Leveling Up Agenda Is Missing Something
The prime minister has staked his government’s future on doing more for those left behind by economic growth. But is he looking at the right policies?
Promises, promises.
Photographer: WPA Pool/Getty Images EuropeAfter delivering Brexit and managing the Covid-19 pandemic, the main focus of Boris Johnson’s government has been on what he refers to as “leveling up” the U.K. economy — doing more for regions and communities that were left behind over the last half century and which provided strong support for leaving the European Union.
But while his aim is clearly to reduce the income and opportunity gap between the wealthier south of the country and the north, the agenda for tackling the problem remains vague. A July speech devoted to the subject was big on generalities and short on policy specifics. So far, the government also has no way of evaluating the impact of its efforts.