Event

Virtual Event: Levelling Up – Principles and Practice

October 25, 2021 1478

Levelling Up is a flagship policy of the current government of the United Kingdom.

It is a powerful phrase, but one which is open to interpretation. As sociologist Jack Newman has written, “the phrase ‘levelling up’ has reached an almost unbearable saturation point, where it has come to mean anything and everything. For those less connected, it tends to produce varied reactions from dismissive cynicism to vague optimism, but with general confusion about what it actually means.”

This event, sponsored by the Campaign for Social Science and SAGE Publishing, aims to improve the public debate on this policy agenda aimed at reducing inequality in health services, education and justice in different places. The two-hour virtual event starts at 16:30 GMT on November 9. It is free but registration is requested.

Coming shortly after the Chancellor’s Spending Review and Autumn Budget announcement, this event assembles a group of distinguished social scientists, politicians and practitioners for a timely exploration of the principles and practices that must be foremost if ‘levelling up’ is to be effective. It will feature 10-minute inputs from a range of experts, including Neil O’Brien, MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (formerly the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government).

Will Hutton, president of the Academy of Social Sciences, will chair the event. In addition to O’Brien, Levelling up: Principles and Practice will see short and sharp inputs from:

  • Lord Kerslake, chair of the UK2070 Commission
  • Juergen Maier, vice-chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership
  • Ben Houchen, Tees Valley mayor
  • Laila Page, head of Sustainable Banking, Performance and Frameworks, NatWest
  • Stuart Martin, CEO, Satellite Applications Catapult
  • Sandra McNally, professor of economics, University of Surrey and Director of the Centre for Vocational Education Research and Director of the Education and Skills Programme at the Centre for Economic Performance, LSE
  • Adrian Pabst, deputy director for Social and Political Economy, National Institute of Economic and Social Research
  • Christine Whitehead, emeritus professor of housing economics, LSE
  • Kate Pickett, professor of epidemiology at University of York and co-founder of The Equality Trust

Sage, the parent of Social Science Space, is a global academic publisher of books, journals, and library resources with a growing range of technologies to enable discovery, access, and engagement. Believing that research and education are critical in shaping society, 24-year-old Sara Miller McCune founded Sage in 1965. Today, we are controlled by a group of trustees charged with maintaining our independence and mission indefinitely. 

View all posts by Sage

Related Articles

Closing the Gender Pay Gap: Why Intermediaries Matter
Business and Management INK
June 18, 2025

Closing the Gender Pay Gap: Why Intermediaries Matter

Read Now
Degrading Sites of Punishment and Pain: The Case for Abolishing Prisons
Public Policy
June 9, 2025

Degrading Sites of Punishment and Pain: The Case for Abolishing Prisons

Read Now
Who Gets to Flourish? 
Public Policy
June 5, 2025

Who Gets to Flourish? 

Read Now
David Autor on the Labor Market
Social Science Bites
June 2, 2025

David Autor on the Labor Market

Read Now
Isaac Asimov’s critique of algorithmic thinking

Isaac Asimov’s critique of algorithmic thinking

Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) left a legacy of influence that many more literary writers might envy. In his own lifetime, he was one […]

Read Now
Pope Francis, Human Dignity, and the Right to Stay, Migrate and Return

Pope Francis, Human Dignity, and the Right to Stay, Migrate and Return

Pope Francis devoted his Message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees in 2023 to the “right” or “freedom” to stay or […]

Read Now
Rosanna Smart Featured at Mark Kleiman Innovation for Public Policy Memorial Lecture 

Rosanna Smart Featured at Mark Kleiman Innovation for Public Policy Memorial Lecture 

Economist Rosanna Smart, a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, will be the featured speaker at the 2025 […]

Read Now
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments