Today, Rebecca Harris MP attended and spoke at the Canvey Island Levelling Up Roadshow to show her support for the local ‘Levelling Up’ plans. Cllr Andrew Sheldon, Leader of Castle Point Borough Council (CPBC), and Cllr Louise McKinlay, Essex County Council’s (ECC) Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, also spoke at the event. Cllr Beverley Egan, deputy Leader of ECC, Cllr Tony Ball, ECC’s Cabinet Member for Education and CPBC Cabinet members were also in attendance.

Levelling up is a core part of the Government’s agenda and aims to transform the UK by raising living standards, spreading opportunity, improving our public services, and restoring people’s sense of pride in their community. But the Government has made it very clear that this agenda can only be delivered by strong local political leadership. Rebecca Harris is therefore pleased that ECC have ensured that levelling up is a core part of the work of its departments and has shown exactly the local leadership and determination that is necessary to make a success of it. 

CPBC have also shown their determination to successfully achieve levelling up in the local area. The Leader of the Council has specifically shown his determination to ensure the Borough is ready to get the most out of what is on offer from the levelling up agenda, both from the County Council and from the Government, with the establishment of the Castle Point Life Chances Partnership. A partnership that aims to bring together organisations at every level and scale that operate in Castle Point with the sole intention of enabling better partnership working, and the establishment of joint projects to tackle head on the root causes of deprivation in the pockets where it is found around our Borough.

Rebecca Harris MP said:

“As a Government whip I spend a lot of time going over laws and policies on paper and speaking to colleagues about how they think policies will affect their constituency and there really is excitement about the Levelling Up agenda around the country. It’s not just about the North catching up with the South, but it’s about improving the prospects of everyone and ensuring equality of opportunity across counties, districts, wards and even down to individual streets in the UK.”