Thread by @viralinfo

LEVELLING UP
It might be a space to do ’take downs’ on Laura K but I’m not going to do that. Let’s have some facts and journalism instead. If you’re interested in ‘levelling up’
or think it’s just another empty bluster mantra then read on...#levellingup #ToryBritain - DB5 dash.

GENERATIONAL
Property wealth is held by Boomers. They mostly protect their wealth, vote Conservative & pass on to their children. There is no indicator through taxation that @conservatives will level this up. Younger people 30-40 still live with their parents.

REGULATORY
UK streets have been decimated by giants like Amazon. Plenty of flim flam about new (low) paid jobs though. BBC source: Amazon pays £492m in UK tax on sales of £20.6bn. There is no levelling up framework assessing fair competition for UK shops in relation to Amazon.

TAXATION
In the pandemic the number of billionaires grew. Ben Tippet says: Rich people hide their assets abroad. The top 1% wealthiest can be taxed higher reducing the burden on nearly everyone in the UK. Conservative voters uphold an unfair system that stops levelling for all.

HEALTH
Cuts to care at a local gov level increased the number of A&E visits in people over 65 (@theifs). Since 2010 there has been no credible attempt to level up care budgets locally. People now go to A&E for minor ailments as they cannot access local health care easily.

TRANSPORT
If you live in the West Midlands or Yorkshire it is harder to reach a job by public transport. As Tory MP, Simon Fell, says there is 'a direct correlation between opportunity and connectivity.’ This includes broadband as well as traditional forms of transport.

CULTURE & DIVERSITY
Diversity in towns & cities increases prosperity (of all kinds). Key factors are bottom up programmes, universities & local authorities exploring ‘compact culture’. Less diverse locations have decreased access to culture where they are. Levelling Up required.

MEDIA
Amid the fake news epidemic, one stat that stands out is the circulation of the print version of the Daily Mail. Now below 1m. Print is dying, with its readership, along with Murdoch’s hold on UK politics. #DailyMail

BREXIT
Sunday Times reports: 'There is no evidence that labour shortages will lead to a high-wage, high-skill economy’. The UK's economy relied on unskilled labour from the EU. This is fact. Job vacancies are high, there is no evidence they will be filled by British workers.

DIGITAL
UK has a focus on digital & 5G. In Merthyr Tydfil & Darlington access is patchy across all 4 networks. On the digital enterprise front, ’smart cities’ top 5 are London, Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow & Manchester. Plenty of levelling up to be done here.

REGIONAL
Tory focus on the new ‘Blue Wall’ electoral seats. Northern economies saw decline since 2010. ONS: 'At the ITL1 level, in 2019, London had the highest GDP per head in current market prices at £56,199, while the North East had the lowest GDP per head at £24,068.'

CRONYISM
Miami jewellery designer, awarded a £250m contract for PPE, was found to have paid £21m to a consultant to broker the deal. A pest control company with net assets of £19000 was given a £108m contract for PPE. (@bmj). VIP lane cut dodgy deals for Tory crones.

Sources: @ONS, @BBC, @bmj_latest , @simonfell , @thesundaytimes , @TheIFS, @BenTippet, @LeftFootFwd #LevellingUp #AstonMartin #DB5 #LiveWellForLessPayMoreSooner