There is a conspiracy theory among sceptics that one person’s levelling up is another’s levelling down.
But even in a world where virtually every financial programme seems to be in millions, or even billions, there can be no doubt that the government’s recent levelling-up grants put the North-West at the top of the table.
A grand total of £586m - more than London and the South-East combined. Specific awards include £20m for Liverpool docks regeneration and £37.2m for transport infrastructure improvements.
Of course, in a process where areas bid against each other, there has been a lot of disappointment, and as the programme moves forward, there will be a need for feedback for unsuccessful areas.
Many Conservatives now believe that more direct fiscal devolution is needed to show that local people know best about the needs of their environs, rather than the outcomes being decided by mandarins in Whitehall.
