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Levelling Up and The Privileging of sub-national governance in England in the inter-Brexit space

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  • Nurse Alexander

    (University of Liverpool, Geography and Planning, Roxby Building, L69 3BX Liverpool, United Kingdom)

  • Sykes Olivier

    (University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom)

Abstract

Although the UK’s exit from the European Union – ‘Brexit’ – has overwhelmingly dominated the national political discourse since 2016 to the expense of nearly every other domestic issue, the policy agenda in the wake of this process is beginning to emerge. This paper examines this agenda, ostensibly supporting a programme of ‘levelling up’ which responds to the perceived root-causes of Brexit. In doing so, we consider the funding streams proposed by the UK Government – namely the Towns Fund, Shared Prosperity Fund and Levelling Up Funds – and examine the extent to which the rhetoric aligns with the reality of their allocation. In doing so, we also consider how, if at all, these schemes correspond to the European Structural Investment Funds (ESIF) they are intended to replace. This paper examines this period of change to consider how the Brexit process is mirroring, and indeed entrenching, these processes of uneven development. We find that the early indications suggest that the UK government is proceeding with funding allocations in a way which can overlook places which meet the technical funding criteria, and therefore indicates political favouring is at play.

Suggested Citation

  • Nurse Alexander & Sykes Olivier, 2023. "Levelling Up and The Privileging of sub-national governance in England in the inter-Brexit space," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 67(2), pages 161-171, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:zfwige:v:67:y:2023:i:2:p:161-171:n:5
    DOI: 10.1515/zfw-2023-0048
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alexander Nurse & Olivier Sykes, 2020. "Place-based vs. place blind? – Where do England’s new local industrial strategies fit in the ‘levelling up’ agenda?," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 35(4), pages 277-296, June.
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    4. Hundt Christian & Grün Lennart, 2022. "Resilience and specialization – How German regions weathered the Great Recession," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 66(2), pages 96-110, July.
    5. Alexander Nurse, 2015. "Bridging the Gap? The Role of Regional Governance in Delivering Effective Local Public Services: Evidence from England," Planning Practice & Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 69-82, February.
    6. Vivien Lowndes & Alison Gardner, 2016. "Local governance under the Conservatives: super-austerity, devolution and the ‘smarter state’," Local Government Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(3), pages 357-375, May.
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