. The report highlights regional inequality within Scotland, as its most prosperous areas are slowed up by the oil and gas industry that has fuelled their local economies. It also looks at the gaps between high and low earners. While Scotland has less poverty and less inequality than its southern neighbour, that difference has been eroding. You don't hear much about 'levelling up' within Scotland. It's a Whitehall term, dating back a couple of prime ministers. A political project to close the gulf of opportunity between London and its prosperous south-east neighbours and the parts of the country which feel - in many cases rightly - that they have been left behind. Some of the funds reach Scotland with a union flag prominently attached but most of the political project is aimed at parts of the north of England. England is a large and populous country with a sprawling confusion of weak local governance and that makes the devolution of power and distribution of funds a big task. In Scotland, we haven't heard so much about devolving power out from Holyrood. Perhaps it's because of the party in government. The clue is in the name. They are not just the Scottish party but the Scottish National Party. Sixteen years ago, the party's approach to local government began with Alex Salmond triumphantly signing an 'historic concordat' of mutual respect with councils. This was intended to be a contrast with the Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition years, when Holyrood had difficult relations with local councils. The agreement also brought in the freeze on council tax rises. The SNP government then applied the harshest squeeze of the austerity years to local authority budgets. That came with a return to ring-fenci){kind=link}
You don’t hear much about ‘levelling up’ within Scotland.
It’s a Whitehall term, dating back a couple of prime ministers. A political project to close the gulf of opportunity between London and its prosperous south-east neighbours and the parts of the country which feel – in many cases rightly – that they have been left behind.
Some of the funds reach Scotland with a union flag prominently attached but most of the political project is aimed at parts of the north of England.
England is a large and populous country with a sprawling confusion of weak local governance and that makes the devolution of power and distribution of funds a big task.
In Scotland, we haven’t heard so much about devolving power out from Holyrood.