Listen to any major speech from the prime minister these days and you’re likely to hear the phrase ‘levelling up’. The Conservative manifesto and every key domestic announcement since 2019’s general election have been littered with references to equalising opportunities. The prime minister has committed to narrowing some of the economic and social differences between the traditional Conservative heartlands in the prosperous south, and some of the traditionally Labour-voting northern constituencies so instrumental in last year’s election result. The phrase taps into the sense of disenfranchisement believed to have contributed to the Brexit vote and, in some respects, builds upon government’s focus on tackling ‘burning injustices’ under the May administration.

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