England’s economic and social landscape is deeply uneven. From productivity and income to health and education, stark geographical inequalities persist – and in many cases, are worsening. Despite years of policy attention, the UK’s highly centralised governance and fragmented funding systems have failed to deliver meaningful change. But what if public funding was allocated in … Continue reading “Rebalancing the map: How Improved Public Funding Allocation in England Could Help Tackle Geographical Inequalities”
Author: Charlotte Hoole
Geographic Inequalities in an Era of Unequal Devolution
The UK has historically failed to learn important lessons from European countries on spatial rebalancing. It has recently acknowledged the need for effective local institutions and a long-term national strategy, but its asymmetric approach is unlikely to reduce geographic inequality. The failure of levelling up When the previous UK government launched its levelling up agenda … Continue reading “Geographic Inequalities in an Era of Unequal Devolution”
Improving Public Funding Allocations to Reduce Geographical Inequalities
This blog shares details of a new project called ‘Improving public funding allocations to reduce geographical inequalities’, involving an inter-disciplinary multi-institution team led by Charlotte Hoole (Principal Investigator), Anne Green, Sheela Agarwal, Sarah Ayres, Jon Burchell, Ceri Davies, Jonathan Davies, Mike Emmerich, Daniel Mutibwa and Andy Pike, with James Gilmour, Abigail Taylor and Sanne Velthuis. … Continue reading “Improving Public Funding Allocations to Reduce Geographical Inequalities”
How England’s Devolution Catch-22 Stands in the Way of Balanced Growth
Charlotte Hoole, Jack Newman and Simon Collinson discuss their recent paper that shows a lack of decentralisation is limiting the capacity and capability of local institutions to devise and implement growth and development strategies important for locally-driven ‘levelling-up’ in England. In recent years, the UK has experienced increased economic and social inequalities. Of particular concern … Continue reading “How England’s Devolution Catch-22 Stands in the Way of Balanced Growth”
How to Improve Regional Productivity Levers in England and Wales
Helen Tilley, Jack Newman and Charlotte Hoole discuss their recent paper on whether UK regions have the policy levers they need to improve productivity, exploring the link between devolution and productivity. This blog was first published on the Wales Centre for Public Policy blogsite. Much has been written about the UK’s productivity puzzle. If the … Continue reading “How to Improve Regional Productivity Levers in England and Wales”
International Women’s Week: Inequality Between Men and Women in the Workplace
Inequality between men and women in the workplace takes on many forms, including unequal pay, disparities in working hours and promotions, and differences in social norms and caring responsibilities. In celebration of International Women’s Week, Sara Hassan, Charlotte Hoole and Abigail Taylor discuss women in the workplace and how inequality can affect various factors like … Continue reading “International Women’s Week: Inequality Between Men and Women in the Workplace”
Labour’s Plan to Put “The Right Powers in the Right Places”
In December 2022, the Labour Party published a new report which promised to decentralise political power in the UK by putting “the right powers in the right places”. Dr Charlotte Hoole and Dr Matt Lyons evaluate how Labour’s proposals differ from the current system and what it could mean for the West Midlands. In December … Continue reading “Labour’s Plan to Put “The Right Powers in the Right Places””
Devolution and Levelling Up: Boon or Bane for the Region?
Charlotte Hoole discusses the levelling up agenda, what it means for devolution, and what opportunities it presents for the West Midlands. This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2021. The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It … Continue reading “Devolution and Levelling Up: Boon or Bane for the Region?”
The Complexity of Local Government in England: The West Midlands’ Rubik’s Cube
In our latest blog, Dr Charlotte Hoole unpicks the complex world of the local government systems and explains how the different tiers and authorities for each region inter-relate. Back in 2006, the then head of communications at the New Local Government Network was quoted in the Guardian as saying “the complexity of local government is … Continue reading “The Complexity of Local Government in England: The West Midlands’ Rubik’s Cube”
The Need for Greater Devolution in England to Respond to COVID-19
Welcome to REDI-Updates, a bi-annual publication which will get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. West Midlands REDI staff and guest contributors will discuss various topics, with this first publication focusing on how inclusive growth can be a tool to tackle regional imbalances across the UK. In this article, Dr Charlotte Hoole … Continue reading “The Need for Greater Devolution in England to Respond to COVID-19”