I was asked to comment on Levelling Up for this project a while ago and I’ve had a think about that. For people down here levelling up causes a lot of anxiety because levelling up is actually levelling down for people around here because levelling up isn’t levelling up, it’s trying to make sure everyone gets the same, no matter where they are from in the country.

The trouble is that us lot in Winchester getting the same as folks in Leeds could be achieved two ways. By giving them more or by giving us less. There is a massive amount of cynicism about levelling up and people round here take no notice of it like it’s the usual load of bollox. This shit has been happening for years under a different name and if you think about it people on the dole get the same in Winchester as they do it Scunthorpe even though a bag of chips is half the price up there.

The cost of living is higher down here than it is up there and landlords here purposefully put their rent just about benefit costs so that they get people who are employed. It makes it incredibly difficult to rent a flat or maintain a tenancy on benefits.

Levelling up isn’t about getting everyone up to a decent standard of living it is political strap line and nothing more.