Can the Tories reclaim Britain’s towns again? The Red Wall vote is riding on it
The Conservatives seem to have discovered a new love for cities. Last week Michael Gove announced a new urban quarter for Cambridge, a revamped city centre for Leeds and accelerated development in East London dubbed “Docklands 2.0”. The logic is obvious: boosting growth, building homes, and decarbonising our economy means backing cities.
But something was missing from this vision. Apart from a brief mention of Barrow in Cumbria, the Levelling Up Secretary’s speech was curiously quiet (for once) on the future of
Britain’s towns.
Just a few years ago towns were at the heart of political debate. The 2019 election might have been all about getting Brexit done on the surface, but the deeper trend was the backlash of Britain’s towns. “Workington Man”, an archetypical swing voter identified by Onward, became a symbol of the heart of the new Tory coalition; on the left Lisa Nandy argued that Labour needed to move away from its metropolitan fanbase. Ultimately, towns turned out to be the red wall’s unstable foundation.
Britain’s towns are key to our national economic success. In too many parts of the country, people with talent can’t deploy it and high potential businesses can’t recruit. Technological shifts and capital flows are widening the gap between towns and the rest of the economy, and young people are voting with their feet. These trends are self-reinforcing, but they are not inevitable.
The last few years have seen a flurry of policies designed to support towns. Investment was channelled through the towns fund and future high streets fund. Treasury officials were shuffled to a new Darlington civil service campus. Railway stations closed as part of the 1960s Beeching cuts were re-examined and restored.
But these piecemeal policies don’t add up to a proper vision. Britain’s towns are not, as some orthodox economists have argued, doomed to economic failure and decline. But neither will they restore their historic role as major centres of employment and industry. The future lies instead in a new compromise for our towns, with
three elements.
First, every town needs a focussed local economy that can bring in investment. In recent decades too many towns have lazily adopted a “foundational economy” approach, accepting ever increasing employment in the public sector or low value-added services. But it is a town’s tradeable economy – companies that export products and services – that attract investment and create jobs.
Many towns have a comparative advantage already, often in sectors like manufacturing or logistics that are ill-suited to cramped urban cores. And the best towns plug in to the growth plans of nearby big cities. The key is being clear-eyed about what successful local industry looks like: South Shields will not be the green manufacturing capital of the UK, but it could be a thriving hub for maintaining offshore wind turbines. Even if this local tradeable economy contributes a decent chunk of economic output, it will never employ as many people as the collieries, shipyards, or factories of the past.
So second, more people will need to commute from towns to cities. This is the truth that many politicians don’t want to admit, fearful of charges that they are turning their patch into a dormitory. But in an era of hybrid working, public attitudes are shifting to become more accepting of a commute into a city office two or three days a week. That is, as long as public transport is reliable or roads aren’t heavily congested.
Cultural attitudes to commuting differ. In Jarrow, I spoke to people frustrated that jobs are going to Newcastle; others in Barry, South Wales, are pleased about opportunities in nearby Cardiff. Whether town and city dwellers see their fates as tied will be key to the success of both tribes.
Third, we need to make our towns nicer places to live. More people will be drawn to towns because they are safe, beautiful, and fun – not purely the jobs on offer. To many, towns offer a greater sense of security and belonging than big cities. Local leaders need to tackle antisocial behaviour, increase the supply of attractive homes, and ensure the pubs, bars, and restaurants that give an area character can keep their doors open. And they need to nurture the community groups, cultural activities, and heritage assets that make local areas unique.
The only way to steward these three ingredients in the long-term is through devolution and local leadership – not just from councillors or mayors, but through the combined efforts of businesses, charities, headteachers and volunteers. There is a bright future for our towns, but it won’t be delivered top-down or ad hoc. We don’t need yet another competitive bid or funding pot – we need our towns to be given the tools to get on with the job.