Winning back ‘red wall’ seats will take more than criticising Boris Johnson’s plans – Labour has to show it would spend big
Two years ago this month Boris Johnson successfully wooed voters in the north of England with a promise to “level up” the UK economy. The Conservative victory was based on a simple message: we get why you voted for Brexit and we’ll do something about it.
Progress has been slow, for obvious reasons. Within a few months of the election, the UK was gripped by a global pandemic. Lockdowns and other restrictions deemed necessary to limit the spread of the Covid-19 virus have provided the government with a cast-iron excuse for its failure to back rhetoric with action.
Larry Elliott is the Guardian’s economics editor
