The government’s newly published Levelling Up white paper sets out its “blueprint for spreading opportunity more equally across the country” by 2030 with 12 ambitious missions. The 12 missions present the UK with a clear opportunity for leaders in public, private sectors and local, regional and national governments to come together to address the widening structural inequalities in society. 

For successful levelling up of UK regions, the missions set out by the government needs sufficient funding and resources, placing emphasis not only on levelling up towns and regions but also working to reduce inequality for the people who live within them. 

To make certain the focus on place includes improving the lives of the people, leaders from business, academia and civil society aim to work with the government, businesses and the public to address the UK’s growing inequalities between groups as well as places. 

The Structural Inequalities Alliance is a partnership between business, academia, policy and third sector organisations. It includes The Equality Trust, CBI, ProBono Economics, Equally Ours, Women’s Budget Group, UCL Public Policy, the Health Foundation, Centre for Mental Health, independent consultant Sam Smethers, John Ellerman Foundation and many others from the Third Sector

In response to the Levelling Up White Paper the Structural Inequalities Alliance said:

“The ambitious targets in the Levelling Up White Paper present a welcome opportunity for the public, private and social sectors and for local, regional and national governments to address some of the UK’s most persistent inequalities. But the focus on levelling up places across the country must not obscure the need to level up people too – across all parts of the UK.

The government’s framing on levelling up obscures the structural inequalities which exist in our society, and which continue to hold people back. Levelling up places is critical but it must also be translated into improving the lives of the people living within them. So far, the government’s approach seems to miss that fundamental reality.

The UK stands at a crossroads – do we want to tackle the root causes of inequalities or merely mitigate their consequences? The White Paper marks a decent start, but only levelling up people as well as places will deliver the transformation the country needs.”

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1. The Equality Trust is the national registered charity that works to improve the quality of life in the UK by reducing social and economic inequalities. For further comments or to arrange an interview, contact Jo Wittams, jo.wittams@equalitytrust.org.uk.

2. For more information about the Structual Inequalities Alliance https://equalitytrust.org.uk/structural-inequalities-alliance