This book identifies key features of the debates and analysis of the UK government's Levelling Up agenda and considers these alongside related trends in the political economy; regional, local and neighbourhood disparities across a range of social and economic indicators. Briefly outlining capitalism’s historical development, it documents spatial disparities in the UK political economy, particularly considering the shift from post-war capitalism to neoliberalism. It then highlights how the Levelling Up agenda is responding to place-based inequalities, as well as its aims and funding streams. It also explores original empirical data with local authority officials to analyse how the agenda is being interpreted at the local level and to address the potential for devolution in Levelling Up. The book also offers data from working class people in a ‘left behind’ area regarding the locality’s core problems including long-term deindustrialisation and poorly paid employment opportunities.weiterlesen