Levelling up success
Bridging the north-south divide in Britain
LEVELLING UP SUCCESS
Bridging the north-south divide in Britain
LEVELLING UP SUCCESS
Bridging the north-south divide in Britain
Geographies of success
Geography has long been important to how people view themselves in the UK, and feelings of success are no exception. Our data suggests there is a need for “levelling up” the extent of opportunities for success people feel are available to them, particularly (and predictably) in the north of England.
But the wider story for the UK is the comparative advantage people in the south, and specifically the south-east of England feel. Residents of this region are the most likely to believe that it is easy for people from their local area to be successful (31%), almost double the national average of 18%. London follows with the second-highest score (23%), trailed by the East Midlands (20%) and the south-west at (19%). The north-east of England stands out strongly, with just 7% of residents expressing the belief that it is easy for people from their local area to be successful in the UK. This is followed by Wales (10%) and the West Midlands (12%).
Perceptions of success and supergroups
The geographic disparity is repeated when it comes to perceptions of success. In the south-west, a mere 11% of individuals rate their personal success as low (between zero to four on a scale of ten) and London is not far behind on 13%. By contrast, 36% of people in the north-east rate their success as low, a level of pessimism far ahead of other regions: the next-closest are the East Midlands (22%), Scotland (19%), and the east of England (19%).
But a simple geographical lens does not cover the whole story. The locale in which people live – independent of whether it is north or south – also appears to be important. We investigate this through the ONS “supergroup” classification, a way of viewing the country that dates from 2011, which breaks the UK down into eleven types of areas based on their population and local area characteristics such as employment, education, and income.
Under this classification, it is people in “services and industrial legacy” areas – the UK’s post-industrial towns and cities – who are most likely to feel they have underachieved. One-quarter of people in these areas rate their personal success zero to four out of ten – compared with just 11% of those in “London cosmopolitan” areas who feel the same.
Educational opportunities may also play a role in perceptions of success, we see this in the north-east where 24% of individuals are dissatisfied with the quality of adult education, compared to the national average of 18%, making it the most dissatisfied region in the UK. Similarly, 31% of those in the north-east express dissatisfaction with opportunities for apprenticeships and work placements for 16-24-year-olds, exceeding the national average of 23%.
“It is people in ‘services and industrial legacy’ areas – the UK’s post-industrial towns and cities – who are most likely to feel they have underachieved. One-quarter of people in these areas rate their personal success zero to four out of ten.”
Geographical constraints on success: myth or reality?
Our data uncovers a strong correlation between the area someone lives and their potential and achieved success. People in the north of England and the other nations of the UK – and most significantly, people in the north-east – feel less successful on both measures. By contrast, feelings of achievement and ability are strongest among those living in London and the home counties.
Yet the analysis by locale shows that this relationship is not just a matter of latitude. It is the local environment – the people, the infrastructure, and the jobs – that also determines how successful people feel they can be. Data from our Levelling Up Index shows the key perceptions that might help in this regard: for instance, people in the north-east are far more likely to be dissatisfied with the availability of jobs in their local area (36%) compared with the UK average (25%). Similarly, people in the north-east are the most likely in the country to be dissatisfied with opportunities for apprenticeships and work placements for 16–24-year-olds (31% versus 24% UK-wide) and the quality of adult education (24% versus an average of 18%).
“With an election upcoming, considering how these perceptions can be improved will be an important step for both main parties in battlegrounds across the ‘red wall’ areas of the country.”
The Index points out some of the key issues that curtail the sense of opportunity people feel in some areas of the UK. With an election upcoming, considering how these perceptions can be improved will be an important step for both main parties in battlegrounds across the “red wall” areas of the country.