Reporting from the frontline of the struggle to ‘level up’, Jamie Driscoll, Mayor of the North Tyne Combined Authority, spoke at Policy Exchange on why the current funding arrangements between HM Treasury and local authorities need to be transformed if success is to be scaled up.  Local leadership, knowledge and presence are essential to achieve local transformation: ‘You cannot level up the North East from SW1’.  New powers over local planning should be devolved to fast track development in areas that need it most. The event was chaired by David Goodhart, Head of Demography, Immigration & Integration at Policy Exchange.