Gove’s ‘missions’ to change Britain: the targets in the Levelling Up White Paper

The success of Boris Johnson’s “levelling up” agenda will be tested against 12 key targets, under the plan set out by the Government.

The White Paper produced by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove describes the goals as his “missions” for the remainder of the decade.

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.