Press release: MPs and council leaders call for immediate action to level up East of England

MPs across the East of England have joined forces with council leaders to call for immediate Government action to level up transport, education, skills, health and housing in the region including the establishment of a Levelling Up the East Delivery Partnership’ between central and local government to accelerate and deliver this crucial agenda.  

It follows the launch of the ground-breaking report ‘Levelling Up the East of England 2023-2030’, which has been warmly welcomed by the Government and business leaders. Today in Westminster (22nd February), the region’s MPs and council leaders across political parties came together to say “now is the time for real, tangible action from the Government on levelling up that will make a positive difference for residents the length and breadth of the East of England.” The event at Portcullis House also included a keynote speech from Dehenna Davison MP, Minister for Levelling Up. 

The report, launched December 2022, assessed progress against the Government’s twelve measures of levelling up. It found there is low confidence in achieving the proposed targets in five policy areas, which are top priorities for the East of England: improved educational attainment, more skills, better transport, longer healthy living and more affordable housing to buy and rent.  

• On transport, spend per capita was just £621 per head, compared with £1,212 per head in London, and below the UK average of £6581. There is a backlog of investment including the Ely and Haughley Junctions.  

• On education, attainment on reading, writing and maths is at 64%, which is below the national average, and well short of the target of 90%. With three councils in the top 40 worst funded in England2 there is an urgent need for funding to be reviewed. 

• On skills, despite having the economy of the future – life sciences, agri-tech and green energy as well as being an International Gateway, having good rates of pay and productivity, and more vacancies than there are unemployed – participation in skills training is currently the lowest of any English region. 

• On health, spend per capita is the lowest in the country (£2,889 compared with £3,236 nationally)3. The census showed population growth of half a million between 2011 and 2021 – an 8% increase, more than any other region – but funding is not keeping pace. The report found there was low confidence that the government’s target for increasing healthy life expectancy by 2030 can be achieved.  

• On housing, with 100,000 people on council waiting lists, 1 in every 422 people technically homeless, 25% of all private rented homes classed as “non-decent” and house prices more than 8 times incomes, urgent action is needed across all tenures.  

The report has been the subject of a Parliamentary debate and numerous Parliamentary questions, as well as Ministerial letters – including from DLUHC; DHSC; Home Office and Department for Education. 

MPs, Peers, council leaders and senior business representatives joined forces to call for “action not more words”. They also issued a call for a new active ‘Levelling Up the East Delivery Partnership’ between central and local government to accelerate and deliver this crucial agenda. 

Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge and Co-chair of the East of England APPG, said:  

“MPs, Peers, Council Leaders and senior business representatives have joined forces to call for urgent Government action on five issues where there is low confidence in the Government’s performance: better transport, improved education, more skills, increased healthy life expectancy and more affordable housing. 

“In the first two rounds of the Levelling Up Fund, the East of England received the third lowest level of funding overall. Whilst we welcome the recognition of the immense economic opportunities the region presents UK PLC, there is a growing concern that there is a lack of understanding in Westminster and Whitehall of the social challenges faced by our region.” 

Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney and Co-chair of the East of England APPG, said:   

“In some places of the East of England, a good start has been made on levelling up but there is still a very long way to go. Now is the time for real, tangible action on levelling up that will make a positive difference in the next twelve months for residents the length and breadth of the region, on five all important issues.” 

“For example, on transport, we want to see the long overdue investment in Ely and Haughley Junctions and the re-instatement of four trains per hour to London Stansted Airport. On health, there should be recognition that the funding formula must reflect the fact that the population grew more here in the last ten years than anywhere else in the UK.”  

Cllr Matthew Hicks, Leader of Suffolk County Council and Chair of EELGA, added:  

“On education, we are calling for a revised funding formula for rural schools plus more special education needs funding going direct to councils.  On skills, we want to see “skills devolution” to allow opportunities for greater local co-ordination and oversight of skills funding. On housing, there is an urgent need for more support for First Time Buyers and for more social housing.  

“Fairer funding is clearly important but levelling up is not all about money. Partnership and devolution will also be key. The region’s councils and their partners stand ready to work with central government Ministers and officials so that there is progress in the next twelve months.”