How Boris Johnson’s mission to ‘level up’ the country is over before it began

Red wall Tories desperate to show promises delivered should be worried after the mini-budget, writes Rob Merrick

The PM’s levelling up idea has hit the buffers (Getty)

So, farewell then to hopes for Boris Johnson’s headline-grabbing promise to “level up” the country, a plan only two months old but strangled at birth it seems.

The dust has barely settled on the mammoth document unveiled by Michael Gove, with the hopes of all those red wall Tories in vulnerable marginal seats firmly pinned to its 332 pages.

But less than nine weeks later there appears to be no real intention to confront the nation’s stark inequalities in the only department that could deliver it: the Treasury.

It has been a bad 10 days for Rishi Sunak, who has gone from being the Tory heir apparent to a cloth-eared chancellor, deaf to the cost of living crisis, who pinches someone else’s car at a petrol station.

After his spring statement bombed, critics seized on his refusal to say the words “net zero”, but another two-word phrase – “level up” – was also notable for its absence.

The mini-budget book makes only three passing references and confirms what really matters; that no extra cash is coming as Mr Sunak makes tax cuts his “mission” instead.

This latest raspberry blown at the policy follows the thumbs down given by all and sundry when Mr Gove launched his white paper back in February.

It quickly emerged that its 12 “missions” were largely copied from Theresa May’s abandoned plans and – despite promises of “a revolution in local democracy” – no further powers are being devolved.

Mr Gove conceded his missions, for pay, jobs, research and development spending, transport connectivity and even “restoring local pride” in struggling areas, are merely “aspirational”.

The Institute for Government is a serious body, not given to tongue-lashings, but its newly-delivered verdict is scathing. The plans “will not reduce regional inequality”.

Just four of the 12 missions are clear and measurable, it says, with the other eight either vague, unambitious or misplaced. And the target for any improvements is a distant 2030.

Remember also that at least £2bn has been slashed from promised development funding in poorer areas because of a broken pledge to match EU spending lost because of Brexit.

There will be other budgets but time is running out to start making a difference – and anyway, Mr Sunak is only interested in storing up a war chest for pre-election goodies, it seems.

If there is no money and no clear policies, what is left? Tory MPs desperate to show that levelling up is under way should be worried.