‘Vague commitments’ Sunak and Truss blasted for FAILING Red Wall who won Tories power

Liz Truss outlines Conservative leadership pledges

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The outgoing Prime Minister’s flagship policy vowed to bring a social and economical upgrade to the UK – but the next UK leader needs to take things a step further in order for the UK to prosper, according to an expert. Ivan Jimenez, a levelling up expert from the Basque Country, has urged the leadership candidates to press forward with levelling up and make better commitments to bring prosperity to all parts of the UK.

He told Express.co.uk: “Both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have, to date, made vague commitments regarding the UK’s “levelling up” agenda: Truss has promised to create low-tax zones across the north of England with lower business rates and relaxed planning restrictions to encourage investment.

“While Sunak has pledged to keep a Cabinet-level secretary of state for the programme, he has not outlined any detailed commitments.”

But for Mr Jiminez, the plan simply doesn’t go far enough, saying bringing deprived areas of the UK out of hardship cannot be “achieved overnight”.

He continued: “A recent report by the End Child Poverty Commission found, almost two-fifths of children in the north east of England are currently living in poverty.

“Other research, by the likes of the IPPR and Centre for Cities, has also found wide divergences in productivity levels between London and the rest of the country – and that the rebalancing of opportunities is not something that can be achieved overnight.

“Yet, the challenge is not insurmountable, and both candidates should look at “levelling up” as a long-term commitment that will yield dividends down the road.”

Mr Jimenez offers the Basque Country as an inspirational model for Britain’s next steps.

He said: “I would encourage both candidates to look the Basque Country’s model as a blueprint, given the similarities we share with many of Britain’s “left behind” towns and cities.”

The Basque Country, a semi autonomous region of northern Spain, has undergone a major transformation thanks to major investment.

Mr Jimenez explains: “As we discovered, in Bilbao and the surrounding Biscay province, long-term commitments to personal development, particularly across STEM-related subjects, can be pay real dividends and drive economic growth.

“We suffered a brain drain, comparable to many towns and cities across the UK, after the financial crash in 2008, and shared in many of the challenges that face deindustrialised areas.

“Yet, we addressed this issue, in part, by doubling-down on education investment, and, now, we boast a level of STEM-qualified workers that is twice the proportion of both the EU and the United States.”

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Mr Jimenez argues that establishing culturally-appealing icons will attract external funding flows.

He continues: “In our case, the idea of a Guggenheim in Bilbao was derided, but it now symbolises the Basque “levelling up” success story – it stands as a beacon of a once- deprived city that now contributes 425 million euros to regional GDP, generates over 9,000 jobs, and drives up tourist numbers. It has been the catalyst for the delivery of a full-scale urban renewal programme, including a new metro system and business centre.”

Mr Jiminez believes that if the next Prime Minister follows a similar path to this successful region, opportunity and economic security will come to the UK’s most neglected areas.

He said: “If pursued, even against challenging economic headwinds, there is no reason to believe the UK, under Truss or Sunak, could not successfully deliver greater opportunities and investment to its regions.

“To successfully “level up”, the UK will need to back its regions wholeheartedly, even in the face of external economic impacts, such as the current cost-of-living squeeze.

“The next PM (Truss or Sunak) will need to show perseverance to the cause, and be prepared to make policy moves that are less about immediate gains and more about creating a more even distribution of wealth and opportunity.”

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