Voters won’t forgive the next prime minister if they ignore the idea of ‘levelling up’

The electorate will want a positive, forward-looking vision to guide the country out of choppy waters, writes Adam Hawksbee

Will the next occupant of No 10 stick to the ‘levelling up’ agenda? (Getty)

Becoming a mid-term prime minister is always a bit awkward. Gordon Brown struggled to step out from Tony Blair’s shadow in 2007, and then had his shot at building an agenda scuppered by the financial crisis. Theresa May spoke of “burning injustices” on the steps of Number 10 but ultimately couldn’t escape David Cameron’s Brexit legacy

The next PM’s transition will be particularly tough. They step into Downing Street against a backdrop of sky-high inflation, rising energy bills, rolling train strikes, widespread droughts and NHS backlogs. Oh, and war in Ukraine. All just two years before a general election.

It would be easy to spend the next 12 months just reacting to these challenges. It would also be a mistake. The electorate will want a positive, forward-looking vision to guide the country out of choppy waters.