Responding to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson's speech on levelling up, Cllr Georgia Gould, Chair of London Councils, said:
“Acknowledging that communities across the country have been left behind, blocked from benefitting from national economic growth, is an important step from Government.
“Everyone should have the chance to find a good job and progress in a career in their town, city or region. However we know that all over the UK that there are millions of people cut off from the opportunities on their doorstep and facing huge inequalities.
“London is a great, dynamic global city which has a big role to play in the UK's economic recovery. But we also face huge challenges. There are thousands of communities living in poverty in London, who face serious barriers to finding work such as lack of digital skills or difficulty accessing the labour market. The economic impact of Covid-19 has hit London hard - our unemployment rate is the highest of any UK region at 6.5 per cent.
“London boroughs look forward to working with Government on the ‘levelling up’ agenda, working with key business sectors to support inclusive growth and making sure we build a recovery for all Londoners.
“With our local knowledge, leadership and established relationships, councils are a valuable partner in making levelling up a reality for our residents and businesses.
“A revival of devolution to local areas is hugely welcome. We are keen to break new ground in London and show how even more ambition can help local and national government innovate and make faster progress on our priorities such as ‘levelling up’, pandemic recovery and addressing the climate crisis.”