Boris Johnson spoke of Levelling Up the North. Now he is just Levelling it.

“Level” is a word prominently in the news recently. UK/EU negotiations are faltering over Level Playing Field rules and before one of his trademark disappearances, Boris Johnson pledged to Level Up the country. It seems odd to suggest that levelling of one kind is essential while another considered unacceptable.

“Levelling Up” - snappy slogan, great idea but does anybody know what it means practically, let alone trust this government to deliver it? COVID has had a massive impact on employment, with tens of thousands of jobs lost even before furlough ends. Over 10% of the North West workforce are employed in retail, many others in manufacturing & hospitality yet the government refuses to provide targeted sector-specific relief. On the other hand, millions of pounds of public money has (rightly) been spent on COVID information campaigns and PPE contracts - but almost all of it has gone to companies connected to government advisors and their chums without any tendering, connections seemingly outweighing expertise. Levelling up?

Another potential hammer blow coming is a possible No Deal Brexit in January, with news that progress in trade talks has stalled (to the surprise of many of us who hadn’t noticed any progress). “The clock is ticking!” say UK negotiators with zero self-awareness.

The UK wants trade with and within the EU but without Level Playing field rules on standards that apply to all members. It's like refusing to pay your subs at the gym while demanding continued access to the sauna. Johnson’s “Oven Ready” deal could go mouldy before it’s finished.

North West businesses will have two mountains to climb before reaching the promised post-Brexit sunlit uplands, and without any genuine levelling up we start from further down the slope. Those who voted to turn the Red Wall blue may soon regret their choice.

Comments

#FBPE is More than Merely a Meme

Twitter is no stranger to a hashtag or a meme – many know the hashtag was invented on Twitter, and anyone who has had Twitter “conversations” with the Trump fanbase soon realises that memes (plus profanity and #MAGA of course) are literally all the language they have. Twitter, certainly Pre Trump/Brexit, was to quite a large extent cat videos, short jokes (don’t get me started on 280 characters – RUINED it they have, I tell you) and memes. But in the last few weeks, Twitter has gained a new meme - the hashtag #FBPE. When this one popped up in my feed, it was a curious thing. Firstly, hashtags are usually things like #MakeAMiserableFilm or #WallpaperWednedsay so their meaning is obvious(ish). They’re also often fairly short lived, being of their time, serve their purpose and quietly disappear from Twitter trends. But this one didn’t immediately make sense to me, it lasted more than a day or two – and, unusually, it was being added to Twitter users’ display names as well as twe...

Texas Court Battles Put Democracy on Trial

In the last few days a handful of Republican activists have gone to the courts in Texas, in what can only be described as an attack on the democratic process which manages the US Presidential Election. This weekend, representatives from the Republican party went to the Texas Supreme Court to request that ballots cast in drive-thru centres in Harris County in the state should be discounted. When the Supreme Court rejected their request they immediately took their case to the federal court. Anyone old enough to remember Bush v Gore will know that in a US election the courts are often used to decide state elections, and the Electoral College system means this can affect the national result. But the Texas case is different – Republicans aren’t suggesting that specific votes should be invalid, they are objecting to an entire method of voting which has already been in use for...

The Queen’s Speech raises fears of a No Deal Brexit - but it can be stopped

Last week government announced that it intends to prorogue parliament from the 8 th to the 14 th of October in preparation for a Queen’s Speech. This was not unexpected but the timing causes concern that it could lead to a No Deal Brexit on the 31 st of October. Whether this happens or not, this could be the most dramatic Queen’s Speech in living memory. According to the schedule, parliament will be suspended, legally this time, from next Tuesday until the 14 th Oct, with a Queen’s Speech on that day. The six-day prorogation is a more usual length of time associated with preparations for a Queen’s Speech, unlike the previous five-week long attempt which was of course annulled in the Supreme Court. The Queen’s Speech allows the government to set out its priorities and programme for the coming session, although this one will be unusual in that a General Election is almost certain before any government business gets underway in parliament, so it will be more of a Party Polit...

Mike Holden - Politics blogs

Search This Blog