PBE Reacts: The Prime Minister's speech on levelling up

Responding to the proposals on further devolution in the Prime Minister's speech on levelling up, Pro Bono Economics CEO Matt Whittaker said:

"The Prime Minister’s emphasis on supporting local leaders to take the levelling up agenda forward within their communities is absolutely key to achieving real change. This is a vital step forwards, building on the success of the Metro Mayors. But for a new round of devolution to support genuine levelling up across the country, new mayors will need a clear objective to unite behind and then the powers and funds to meet that objective in their area.

"Levelling up personal wellbeing should be the goal against which the government measures success, capturing as it does the broad range of challenges the Prime Minister wants to solve. Providing communities with the freedom to determine their own priorities within this overarching goal – and then the tools to deliver success – must be the priority for the government’s levelling up plan."