Oral Answers to Questions

Barry Sheerman Excerpts

Wednesday 9th June 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)]

In his very first speech, the Prime Minister mentioned levelling up. My constituents want to know when it is going to start. I understand that he has lived a life of privilege and does not know much about the public, state sector; he knows a lot about the private sector in education. What are the markers for success? The fact of the matter is that the head of his own Industrial Strategy Council says that his levelling up, with these resources and with this management team, will not work and will not be successful, and my local Kirklees Council says it is so complex that nothing is flowing down to the grassroots. When will we see the first signs of genuine levelling up in our country?

[The Prime Minister]

What we are seeing across the country is people responding to massive investment— a £640 billion programme of investment in roads, in schools, in hospitals, in policing—that, bit by bit, is transforming people’s lives, hopes and opportunities. That is fundamentally the difference between the hon. Gentleman’s side of the argument and ours. We believe that there is talent, genius and flair around the whole country but opportunity is not evenly distributed. That is our ambition and that is what we are doing with our campaign for levelling up. If he is now saying, by the way, that he supports what we are doing on the tutoring revolution—because I know he is a great educational expert—then I am glad to hear it.