PM to set out levelling up plans for the country

High streets and local businesses are expected to be central to the new High Streets Strategy that will be announced later this week. 

The PM is expected to vow to tackle the inequalities and divisions that the pandemic has worsened; Mr Johnson will also outline how the government plan to avoid repeating the aftermath of the financial crisis in 2008, which led to the biggest recession in the UK since the Second World War.

A government spokesperson said: ‘The Prime Minister is determined to level up the UK and deliver a fairer, stronger society – one where whatever your background and wherever you live, everyone can access the opportunities they need to succeed.

‘While talent and potential is distributed evenly across this country, opportunity is not. That’s why as we emerge from the pandemic, it’s vital that we do not make the mistakes of recovery from the financial crash and seize this moment to ensure a better quality of life for people in every part of the UK.’

The High Streets Strategy will extend pavement licences for pubs, restaurants and cafes and then make them permanent, so that it will be cheaper and easier for hospitality businesses to set up outdoor tables and serve more customers.

Temporary permissions for off-sales of alcohol are also expected to be extended for another 12 months, so pubs can continue to serve takeaway pints across the summer.

After England faced Italy in the Euro 2021 final, the government has committed to support local sports teams, with £25m allotted to new grassroots sports facilities, amounting to the equivalent of 50 artificial pitches.

The PM will also talk about creating a more balanced economy and improving jobs in the UK by investing in infrastructure and skills, strengthening community and local leadership and taking into account local needs.

The speech will start off a summer programme of public engagement, ahead of the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper in Autumn.

In related news, local economic interventions have consistently failed to address inequalities across the UK’s most deprived communities, according to a new report from The Institute for Community Studies.

Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino