WPI’s 2022 Levelling Up Index, which ranks each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales on six key indicators of economic and social wellbeing, has been published.

The Index finds that 74 per cent of the constituencies most in need of levelling up are in the North, Midlands, and Wales. A third of those seats (62 in total) are Conservative-held, with around half represented by 2019 intake MPs.

There is a strong correlation between the number of empty commercial premises and levelling up. Of the 50 constituencies with the highest number of empty shops, 90% are in need of levelling up. The report recommends one immediate way to alleviate the pressure on retailers and breathe new life into high streets across the country, improving their levelling up prospects, is to immediately freeze business rates, followed by permanent reform.

You can read the full report here.