In response to the Chancellor’s Spending Review, Matt Whittaker, CEO of Pro Bono Economics said:

“To succeed in levelling up the country as we crawl out of crisis mode, we need investment in social infrastructure, not just physical infrastructure. Re-opening closed rail stations and refurbishing local buses will only go so far towards tackling the deep social scars coronavirus leaves behind. The Chancellor’s new £4billion Levelling Up fund is an opportunity to draw in the community groups, charities and social enterprises that are tackling covid’s social scarring every day.

“Putting civil society’s expertise at the heart of our policy making will be key to meeting the government’s aim to build back better. However, there are real questions to be asked about how the government can achieve that while also hinting at budget cuts to the Office for Civil Society in charge of this vital work.”

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