How do we level up regions in a sustained manner - raising productivity and living standards, and reducing inequalities? Why do institutions matter and what should change to make it work? 

The government introduced its Levelling Up agenda to the UK as part of its 2019 election manifesto and a long-promised White Paper on the subject is expected soon. There has been no shortage of suggestions in recent months on what to do to advance economic and social progress in UK-wide regions and cities, and how to reduce inequalities between places and groups in the population. 

In this episode, we’ve stepped back a bit from those critical needs and asked ourselves the questions of how policy, institutions and fiscal mechanisms can become less centralised, better coordinated and more long-term oriented.

Host Bart van Ark talks with three of The Productivity Institute’s thematic leads - Professors Diane Coyle, Andy Westwood and Philip McCann - to discuss their recent research relating to Levelling Up in relation to UK industrial policy, local growth and fiscal implications of governance devolution.

Productivity Puzzles is sponsored by Capita and brought to you by The Productivity Institute, a research body involving nine academic institutions across the UK, eight Regional Productivity Forums throughout the nation, and a national independent Productivity Commission to advise policy makers at all levels of government. 

For more information:

UK’s Industrial Policy: Learning from the past?  By Diane Coyle and Adam Muthar

• Read the Insight Paper
• Read the Executive Summary 

Levelling Up, Local Growth and Productivity in England by Andy Westwood, Marianne Sensier and Nicola Pike

• Read the Insight Paper
• Read the Executive Summary

The fiscal implication of levelling up and UK governance devolution by Philip McCann

• Read the Insight Paper
• Read the Executive Summary

Ahead of the government’s White Paper in Levelling Up expected in 2022, The Productivity Institute has collated its “Levelling Up” related insights

• Levelling Up: Insights from The Productivity Institute 

The Productivity Institute is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. To find out more, visit: https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/strategy-and-priorities/productivity/

Find out more about at www.productivity.ac.uk