The IPPR has released their annual State of the North report, talking about the Government’s manifesto pledge to “level up every part of the United Kingdom” and how “a recovery that simply restores the old order would be unsustainable and – for many – unacceptable.”
The report explores how COVID-19 has impacted life for people in the North, stating its economy does not currently “create the conditions for a good life” for everyone in the region. A recovery that simply restores the North to the old order of ways would be “unsustainable, and for many, unacceptable”, given the impact of the UK’s deep regional divides, and sets out 4 recommendations to help level up the North.
IPPR recommendations include:
- A fairer, productive, and low carbon Northern economy that raises living standards for all
- Better work, health and pay for people in the North which keep up with the cost of living, and provide healthier and longer lives
- A jobs-led recovery for low unemployment, greater access to employment opportunities, and a reduction in child poverty
- An empowered North, enabling better democratic participation, representation, and trust in local decision-making.
These link to some of the recommendations set out in The Women’s Organisation’s ‘Rethinking the Economy for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future’ report (available here https://www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rethinking-the-Economy-for-an-Inclusive-and-Sustainable-Future.pdf)
In both these reports we see how inequality damages individual lives and communities, and the importance of access to good quality health, learning, and wellbeing.
Download the full report here: https://www.ippr.org/files/2020-12/state-of-the-north-2020-21-dec-20.pdf
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