Rebalancing Britain must not leave poor communities in the South behind

As it becomes increasingly clear through MPs public and private statements that Andy Burnham is on track for a coronation as Labour leader, members, councillors and the PLP alike are taking a closer look at what his premiership might look like.

Unsurprisingly for a man dubbed the ‘King of the North’, one of his core priorities will likely be to direct greater resources and investment to communities that have been too often overlooked. Given the economic damage inflicted on large parts of northern England through deindustrialisation and the failure of successive governments to properly replace lost industries and jobs, it is difficult to argue against the principle.

For too long, economic policy has been overly focused on London and the South East. Transport spending, infrastructure investment and government attention have often flowed disproportionately towards the capital and the Home Counties, while towns and cities elsewhere have been expected to make do. Rebalancing our economy is not only fair, but necessary if Labour is serious about tackling regional inequality and unlocking growth for all of Britain.

Burnham is right to argue that the North deserves greater investment, but the mistake would be to assume that deprivation stops at the Watford Gap.

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Some Labour MPs have expressed concerns that a heavily northern-focused agenda could risk alienating voters elsewhere – and that concern should not be dismissed. Not because northern communities are undeserving of support, but because poverty and neglect exist in every region of England, as well as in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The image of the South East as universally affluent masks deep inequalities. Coastal communities in my region have experienced decades of economic decline, with towns like Hastings, Eastbourne and Margate containing neighbourhoods among the most deprived in England. Even on my doorstep in Brighton, my Labour council has struggled to deal with central government funding that was slashed under the Tories, making the difficult choice to close local libraries in a struggle to maintain our city’s basic services. Communities already experiencing hardship should not find themselves pushed further down the list simply because they happen to sit within an area commonly associated with wealth.

The deprivation experienced in southern communities maybe less visible than in the former industrial towns, but it is no less damaging. Poor housing, insecure work, stretched public services, declining high streets and unreliable public transport are not exclusively northern problems.

It’s the same story told by Wes Streeting, of his experience growing up in a council estate in east London. The financial district he could see from his home might as well have been another country. Geography alone does not determine prosperity.

Rebalancing Britain is the right objective. Yet if Labour is to remain a truly national party, it must ensure that councils already pushed to the brink and communities already overlooked are not punished simply because of where they happen to live.

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