The government is today unveiling its ‘Levelling Up’ report that it says will “transform” the country.
Aiming to “close the gap” between the richer and poorer parts of the country, the long-awaited strategy – which has been unveiled by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, and will be further detailed in a white paper report being released later today – will take until 2030, and looks to improve services such as education, broadband, and transport.
Officials say the report will set out a blueprint to bring prosperity “to all parts” of the UK.
In the Conservatives’ 2019 general election-winning manifesto, the party said its focus would be “levelling up every part of the UK”, and the term has since become a key slogan for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.
At the heart of the strategy is a plan to create more regional mayors, such as existing posts like Labour’s Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester, or the Conservative’s Andy Street in the West Midlands, and Ben Houchen in Tees Valley, and every part of England will have access to “London-style” powers if they want it.
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As stated in the strategy, Mr Gove’s plans would bring all existing initiatives together into 12 “national missions”, and set up a system for measuring progress.
Among the 12 missions are promises to refocus education spending on disadvantaged parts of the country and eliminate illiteracy and innumeracy, bring the rest of the country’s public transport up to London standards, and provide access to 5G broadband for the “large majority” of households.
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There’s also the aim to have wellbeing improved in every area of the UK, with the gap between top performing and other areas closing.
✅ Jobs ✅ Investment ✅ Opportunity ✅ Regeneration ✅ Health and wellbeing ✅ Education and training ✅ Empowering communities
— Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Gov (@mhclg) February 2, 2022
Other missions identified include significantly increasing the number of people successfully completing high-quality skills training in every area of the UK, and renters having a secure path to property ownership, with the number of first-time buyers increasing in all areas.
Derelict urban sites in 20 towns and cities will be targeted for redevelopment, with Sheffield and Wolverhampton the first places selected for this.
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One of the crucial parts of the plan for this region includes £100 million of new government funding for “innovation accelerators” to boost research and development in Greater Manchester, as well in West Midlands and Glasgow City-Region.
Speaking ahead of the publishing of the white paper, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “The United Kingdom is an unparalleled success story. We have one of the world’s biggest and most dynamic economies, ours is the world’s most spoken language [and] we have produced more Nobel Prize winners than any country other than America.
“But not everyone shares equally in the UK’s success [and] for decades, too many communities have been overlooked and undervalued.
“As some areas have flourished, others have been left in a cycle of decline.”
The strategy has been unveiled by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove / Credit: Number 10 / Pippa Fowels (via Flickr)
“Levelling Up and this White Paper is about ending this historic injustice and calling time on the postcode lottery,” he continued.
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“This will not be an easy task, and it won’t happen overnight, but our 12 new national levelling up missions will drive real change in towns and cities across the UK, so that where you live will no longer determine how far you can go.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson assured that levelling up is the “defining mission of this government”, adding that this “comprehensive and ambitious” is a “vision for the future”.
Endangered baby giant otter triplets have been born at Chester Zoo
Emily Sergeant
This calls for celebration, as Chester Zoo has welcomed baby giant otter triplets in what is huge news for the endangered species.
It’s been a really exciting start to 2026 at Chester Zoo, as it was only a couple of days ago we got to see Dotty the baby Kirk’s dik-dik – which is one of the smallest antelopes in the world – take her first steps, and now it’s time to say hello to three new arrivals in the form of giant otter pups.
The trio are the first of their kind to be born at the zoo in several years, and arrive as part of an international conservation effort to boost numbers.
Arriving to first-time parents Bonita and Manu, up until now, the three giant otter pups have remained tucked away in their cosy holt with mum feeding them regularly until they more than tripled in size – but now, they’ve officially entered into the big wide world.
Following their first health check-up with the zoo’s veterinary team, conservationists have revealed the sex of the pups to be two males and a female
Their names are yet to be chosen, so keep your eyes peeled.
Endangered baby giant otter triplets have been born at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo has described this triple birth as a ‘rare boost’ for one of the world’s most endangered species, as there are thought to be fewer than 5,000 giant otters surviving in the wild right now.
Giant otters are the world’s largest species of otter, with a powerful build, sharp teeth, and a highly social nature. As one of the apex predators in the waterways where they live, they play a crucial role in maintaining the health and balance of freshwater ecosystems.
But sadly, experts say the species faces ‘an uncertain future’, with their decline largely driven by deforestation, water pollution, and illegal hunting, leading them to be listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning they face a very-high risk of extinction without urgent conservation action.
“The arrival of these three giant otter pups is a hugely special moment and marks the first time the species has been born here in seven years,” explained Rachael Boatwright, who is the Assistant Team Manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo.
“The pups recently had their very first health check-up at eight weeks old, where they were weighed and had their heart, teeth and overall condition assessed by the zoo’s vets. We’re delighted to confirm that all three are healthy and thriving – and that we have two males and one female pup.
“At eight weeks old, the pups will now start to venture outside alongside parents Bonita and Manu, who will start introducing them to the water and all of the essential skills they’ll need as they grow.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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Hordes of people dressed as giant poos run through Manchester for bowel cancer awareness
Danny Jones
If you happened to be in town on Thursday and noticed a bunch of people dressed as giant poos running through the city centre and wondered, ‘What the hell is going on?’, it was this…
We know Manchester has a serious case of the runs, what with the annual Marathon and Great Manchester race, both just around the corner (one literally just next week), but this takes the cake.
On a more heartfelt note, although there is an obvious and innate silliness to this now annual get-together, it’s all for a very important and worthwhile cause.
Uniting for a fourth time, the Pall Mall Medical team (along with a couple of us here at The Manc) are hoping to flush out the stigma and silence surrounding bowel cancer awareness.
Credit: The Manc Group
Starting from Pall Mall’s very own clinic on King St, more than 105 runners laced up their shoes and popped on emoji suits, toilet costumes, daft poo hats and more for a 5k jog around the city centre alongside local run club, Blaze.
They even tried to make the route in the shape of a poo, too.
Why such a specific number, you ask? Well, that’s the exact number of people who are sadly diagnosed with bowel cancer across the North West every single week.
It’s an alarming statistic, but once you pair it with the fact that they make up the rising number of new cases being reported in the country – more than a whopping 41,000 each year – you can see why they’re desperate to get more people talking about the disease.
Moreover, the rate among under 50s has also seen a concerning rise since the 90s, but this also means that the earlier it’s caught, the better people like Pall Mall can help with treatment.
The sooner it’s spotted, the greater the chance of survival, with 90% of those diagnosed at the earliest possible stage surviving for five years or more; that’s why these lot are hoping to better the discourse around bowel-related issues.
Besides offering important scans and blood tests for numerous health conditions, they also boast the dedicated and revolutionary ColoAlert® testing service, which is a German import that’s more accurate (around 85%) and effective than most others here in the UK.
It has quite literally proved to be a life-changing bit of kit for so many, and for Pall Mall’s Dr Chun Tang, this whole initiative has a deep personal connection.
Having sadly lost his father to the illness, as well as his brother being diagnosed with bowel cancer, he knows all too well how important increasing the conversation is – bowel cancer being the second biggest killer in the UK after lung conditions.
Even before you book in a check-up, Dr Tang says it’s simple to spot noteworthy signs at home: “Any blood in the stools, streaks in your poo, on the pan or on the paper; any changes in your digestion such as diarrhoea, constipation and [continued] fatigue, then see your GP or come visit us at Pall Mall.”
Best of all, the money raised with the latest ‘Poo Protest’ all goes towards Bowel Cancer UK, so well done to everyone involved.
For once, we couldn’t be happier to hear so many people talking sh**.
Throughout April, Pall Mall are offering £75 off the ColoAlert® Bowel Cancer stool test, and 20% off the Virtual Colonoscopy in Aprilo. To find out more about the event and book an appointment, you can click right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd February 2022 
