If the Tories neglect cities it will make everyone poorer

Deputy Director Adam Hawksbee wrote for Prospect on the Conservative Party’s challenge connecting with city-dwelling voters. He writes:

“The Conservatives have a city problem. Only one of the safest 50 Conservative seats is in one of Britain’s four largest cities. The vast majority of Conservative voters—67 per cent—live in villages (24 per cent) or on the edge of towns (43 per cent). In contrast, Labour voters are strongly concentrated in major cities, with 37 of their 50 safest seats in the biggest four.

“[…] A brave Conservative leader would confront this challenge. To develop a more effective growth model we need a narrative that brings together the city, the town, the coast and the countryside. A resident in Oldham might not like the skyscrapers in Manchester city centre, but they need to believe that Manchester’s growth is Oldham’s gain. An employer in Birmingham city centre needs to see their reliance on firms, colleges, and public services in Dudley. That means policies to match the narrative—ensuring that the proceeds of economic activity in cities are used to boost opportunity in towns and villages so that they can both benefit from and contribute to growth.”

You can read the full piece here.