Devolved nations told to join 'collective effort to level up the UK'

The move was announced as the Conservative administration at Westminster prepared to publish its "Levelling Up" white paper.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has come under fire as a result of the “partygate” allegations, will attempt to divert attention from the ongoing saga by insisting the “defining mission” of his government is to “level up” the country so people have “access to the same opportunities” regardless of where in the UK they live.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson to chair council of devolved leaders in bid to strengthen Union

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove is to invite Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, as well as her Welsh counterpart Mark Drakeford, and Paul Givan and his deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill from Northern Ireland, to take part in the project, calling for the four nations to work together.

However, Scotland and Wales have previously expressed concern that the UK Government will not honour the "spirit" of their grand proclamations about working together.

In addition, the Glasgow city region is to be one of three new Innovation Accelerator areas, and will receive a share of £100 million of UK Government funding in a bid to encourage innovation, research and development (R&D) work, and boost local opportunities.

The White Paper produced by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove describes twelve “missions” for the remainder of the decade which will be "given status in law".

• The targets for 2030 are:
• – Pay, employment and productivity will have risen in all parts of the UK, with each area containing a “globally competitive” city.
• – Domestic public investment in research and development outside the “greater South East” of England will increase by at least 40%.
• – Local public transport across the country will be “significantly closer” to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing.
• – The UK will have nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage, with 5G coverage for the majority of the population.
• – Some 90% of primary school children in England will have achieved the expected standards in reading, writing and maths, with the percentage meeting those aims in the worst-performing areas to have increased by a third.
• – Some 200,000 more people in England will complete “high-quality skills training” annually, including 80,000 in the lowest-skilled parts of the country.
• – The gap in healthy life expectancy (HLE) between the highest and lowest areas will have narrowed, and by 2035 HLE will rise by five years.
• – There will be improved “well-being” in all parts of the UK, with the gap between the top performing and lowest performing areas closing.
• – All parts of the UK will have improved “pride in place”, assessed by measures such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community.
• – People renting their homes will have a secure path to ownership with the number of first-time buyers increasing in all areas. The number of “non-decent” rented homes will have fallen by 50%.
• – Homicide, serious violence, and neighbourhood crime will have fallen, focused on the worst-affected areas.
• – Every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal and a simplified, long-term funding settlement.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the White Paper, the Prime Minister said: “From day one, the defining mission of this Government has been to level up this country, to break the link between geography and destiny so that no matter where you live you have access to the same opportunities.”

He added: “The challenges we face have been embedded over generations and cannot be dug out overnight, but this White Paper is the next crucial step.

“It is a vision for the future that will see public spending on R&D increased in every part of the country, transport connectivity improving, faster broadband in every community, life expectancies rising, violent crime falling, schools improving and private sector investment being unleashed.”

The Prime Minister declared: “It is the most comprehensive, ambitious plan of its kind that this country has ever seen and it will ensure that the government continues to rise to the challenge and deliver for the people of the UK.”

Gove meanwhile described the UK as an “unparalleled success story with one of the world’s biggest and most dynamic economies”.

However, he stated: “Not everyone shares equally in the UK’s success. Great cities like Glasgow, Belfast, Swansea and Manchester, and proud towns from Aberystwyth to Armagh, to Bangor and Yeovil, have huge potential but contain inequalities which hold too many back.

“Our ambitious plan to unite and level up the whole UK seeks to end that historic injustice and call time on the postcode lottery.”

But he added: “We will only succeed if all layers of government – UK, devolved, and local – work together.

“We have seen through the success of the vaccine roll-out what we can achieve when we pull together. United, there is no challenge we cannot meet.”

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack urged Holyrood ministers to work with the UK Government towards “improving lives across Scotland”.

The Tory added: “Initiatives such as the Glasgow City region becoming an Innovation Accelerator, unlocking access to a share of £100 million of new funding, will help Scotland continue its vital role in keeping the UK at the forefront of global science and research.

“Thanks to locally led partnerships working closely with the UK Government, the region will become a major innovation cluster delivering high end jobs.

“This, along with the UK Government’s commitment to invest £20 billion research and development budget outside the greater south east of England, is great news for Scotland and the wider UK as we deliver on our levelling up commitments."