The shocking north-south divide will never be rebalanced by ministers doling out centralised funds to favourite projects
Levelling up is cancelled. It is so yesterday, past its sell-by date, rather Boris Johnson, defunct. Tory MPs have been given orders to drop it as a mere soundbite since “nobody knows what it means”. Instead they should use “community enhancing” and something called “gauging up”.
There is no limit to the linguistic banality of modern British government. The proof is in this week’s presumably final bonanza of levelling up gifts from Rishi Sunak, announced in Blackpool. Out of his sack pops a new seafront for Cleethorpes, a high street for Catterick, an “obesity project” for Farnborough, an “AI campus” for Blackpool (no kidding), a Brexit relief road for Dover, a health centre for Camden, “step-free access” for Colindale tube station, buses for Teesside, a ferry for Shetland – on its goes, like a Lego catalogue.
Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist
