We have written a report for Pennon on behalf of the Great South West group, ‘Levelling Up the Great South West: a G7 Legacy’.

The aim of this report is to demonstrate the levelling up needs of Devon and Cornwall within the Great South West; to outline the specific challenges affecting the region; to analyse the disparities existing within both counties; and to put forward policy recommendations which could support their economic development.

In order to better understand the challenges affecting the two counties, we have created a levelling up analysis of all parliamentary constituencies in Devon and Cornwall. We looked at six social and economic indicators.

Our analysis found:

• There is a clear divide between Devon and Cornwall and the rest of the UK in terms of productivity. This divide cannot be overstated. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly often has the lowest productivity of any UK subregion.

• Using historical productivity data, our analysis finds that on a ranking of all parliamentary constituencies by productivity 13 out of 18 Devon and Cornwall constituencies are in the bottom third.

• The findings point to a general rule with a major exception: Cornwall is more in need of levelling up than Devon, but both Plymouth seats and Torbay are more in need than anywhere else.

• The report finds that what has happened to many areas in the South West is very similar to much of the northern ‘Red Wall’.

However, there are strong reasons for optimism, with regional clusters and high growth sectors across the two counties. However, in order to unlock this potential Governemnt must transform its plans for the South West. The report recommends:

1. Transform levelling up into an integrated national project, with economic growth plans for every British region incorporated into a central framework. These plans should be delivered by regional leaders with regional accountability.

2. Establish a Transport for the South West body with similar powers to Transport for the North, able to champion transport infrastructure projects across the region.

3. Deliver ultra-fast South West 5G mobile, fibre and wireless broadband through to 90% of the population by 2030.

4. Expand the now-doubled public RD&I budget in every British region, prioritising the South West’s portion in the advanced manufacturing and environmental science clusters.

5. Commit to opening up more STEM pathways for students in higher and further education. The Government’s current pledge to increase the number of students taking STEM subjects is very welcome and should be accelerated.

Read the report here