Levelling Up – Statement from our Chair, Lucy Winskell OBE.

Lucy Winskell OBE, Chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), responds to the Levelling Up announcement issued by government today, Wednesday 2 February 2022.

We welcome the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper and government’s commitment to reducing the economic and social disparities across the UK. The North East currently has the highest unemployment rate in England, yet has huge opportunities through its assets, businesses, and people to change that. With the right level of investment and partnership working with government, we can make a difference to the economic and social wealth of the region.

We were also pleased to see further commitment to devolution. We are clear that local decision-making, targeting investment resources to local priorities, will make a difference and we will continue to work alongside our political partners in the region to secure the optimum devolution position for the North East.

Other highlights for me are the confirmation that future decisions on how the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be invested will be made within the region, a focus on helping people to improve their skills and a commitment to invest in our transport systems. We look forward to continuing to work with all of our partners to not only level up the North East with the rest of the UK regions, but surpass them.

Ends.