The focus of our Budget submission is on transport, skills and support for struggling places.
We highlight three policy areas that should be prioritised:
Transport: Improved transport infrastructure can release economic benefits by helping cities to co-operate and link up. Integrated transport services improve the ability of people to access jobs, supporting growth.
Skills: Investment in skills is the most significant factor for the long-term success of city economies and the UK economy as a whole, but the UK’s skills base is failing to keep pace and the gap between successful and struggling cities has failed to narrow.
Support declining areas: Not all places have the same growth potential; a number have serious, inherited weaknesses. Some cities continue to experience difficulties dealing with deindustrialisation, which has serious long-term implications for their residents.
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Download the supporting briefing – The growth conundrum: The importance of cities to economic growth in the UK