Rural as a region: the hidden challenge for Levelling Up

The report finds that the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper metrics - used to identify the regions most in need of levelling up - are too urban-focused and do not account for disadvantage in rural economies within regions, often linked to limited local employment prospects, poor transport networks and weak connectivity.

It calls for the Government to rethink its choice of metrics and include more rural-relevant indicators such as work placed based incomes, fuel poverty levels, access to further education and house prices relative to local earnings.