East is East. The East Midlands is getting a new metro-mayor, with access to a £1.2 billion investment pot and powers over skills, transport, and housing. The new County Combined Authority is the first of its kind, bringing together two large rural county councils with two urban city councils. But to come into force it needs the Levelling Up Bill to pass the Commons, placing pressure on the new Prime Minister to keep up legislative momentum. Coming swiftly after the signing of a deal for York and North Yorkshire this is a real step forward for giving back control.

That 70s Show. Goldman Sachs has warned that, unless the next Prime Minister takes decisive steps to control spiralling prices, inflation could rise to an eye watering 22% - the highest level since 1975. The warnings pile yet more pressure on the two Conservative leadership contenders to come up with a comprehensive plan to present to the public in their emergency budget on 21 September. Onward will be setting out our proposals to deal with the crisis in the near future, so stay tuned.

Such thing as society. In his latest op-ed for Times Red Box, Danny Kruger MP urged the next Prime Minister to recognise the vital role that civil society can play in solving many social problems. On a local level, Onward saw this for ourselves on our recent Levelling Up in Practice visit to South Tyneside. We recommended a ‘whole-community’ approach to tackling health and social problems to take the strain off of public services.