How can policy tackle regional inequalities?

Regional inequalities in the UK are large and persistent. People across the country face vastly different opportunities in jobs, pay and career progression. What drives these spatial disparities, and what can policymakers at the national and local level do to address them?

At this policy conference, researchers from IFS, UCL, Manchester and other universities presented new evidence on the scale and causes of regional inequalities. Topics covered included regional inequalities in pay, geography of opportunity and youth migration, how house prices affect social mobility, and private investment in regions.

Following a keynote speech, organised with the UCL Policy Lab, by Andy Burnham (Mayor of Greater Manchester), a panel of experts discussed what policy levers are likely to be effective in improving opportunities outside London and the South East.

The panel included:

• Anne-Marie Canning, Opportunity Mission Challenge Director, UKRI
• Sir Paul Collier, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University
• Lindsey Macmillan, Professor of Economics and Founding Director, Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, UCL