Shoppers on Saturday gave a clear message that they are still waiting to be levelled up by the government. The ‘Levelling Up’ policy proposed twelve improvements to local areas, including, increased pay, better public transport and more pride in their towns and cities. It was designed to improve the infrastructure and quality of life, similar to those living in the wealthier South of England.
Local Labour Party activists asked shoppers on Pride Hill, Shrewsbury, to vote if they’d been levelled up by placing a ball in either a ‘No Not Yet’ or a ‘Yes I Have’ bucket, letting the scales of levelling decide the verdict.
Organiser John Turnbull said “the vote was an overwhelming 98% No, to 2% Yes, with Salopians still waiting to see the promised improvements”. “Statements such as ‘levelling-up with the South’ sound great until you explain what the supposed improvements are and ask if they’ve actually happened.” “People in Shrewsbury were clearly tired of these sort of sound bites when nothing improves”.
In last week’s Budget, Levelling Up was largely noticeable by its absence, and its underlining message was “pay more, get less”. The tax burden is forecast to increase to the highest level in 70 years, and following the catastrophic Truss/Kwarteng programme, marks a return to austerity with more large cuts in public services, notably infrastructure.
As Hunt is the fourth Chancellor in under a year, the government is desperate to restore some government credibility but the devil is always in the detail with the strategy already unravelling.
Both the Shrewsbury public and financial markets share their scepticism about the competency of the Sunak government.
It is now expected that the Budget will lead to the largest falls in real disposable household income on record, to contracting 6%.
Whilst the planned support for NHS, defence-related expenditure and childcare provision are to be welcomed, given their track record over the past decade, there must be questions about whether these will be delivered.
Actually, enabling the creation of new nursery and childcare places (given the haemorrhaging that is currently taking place in the sector) as well as providing effective pay for childcare workers (to retain and attract more trained staff) may yet prove insurmountable hurdles in achieving this aim.
In short Hunt’s budget may do little to tackle the structural problems of the British economy, or alleviate the acute pressure on real living standards.