'Levelling up' - a policy agenda focused on reducing regional inequalities - has become the new mantra in British politics. This paper critiques the policy programme from its emergence in 2019 to the publication of the 2022 levelling up White Paper. While it is a welcome recognition of gross regional inequality, local institutions lack capacity to deliver, there has been little genuine devolution and our analysis shows that little new funding has been committed. 'Levelling up' could simply become the latest in a list of politically useful but empty slogans which are used as a substitute for resources and devolution.

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30 January 2023

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Regional Studies , pp.2339-2352, 2023

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DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2022.2159356

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00343404.2022.2159356

This Journal article is published under the centre's Community Wellbeing programme.