Bridging the Gap: The Power of Place in Labour’s Mission Delivery

Summary of analysis findings

Click through the maps below to see a summary of performance across the country. Please note that the darker shaded areas indicate areas with a greater level of need.

Constructing the Missions Index

Our Missions Index is structured around Labour's five key missions. For each mission, we have carefully considered the key objectives and outcomes that Labour are trying to achieve, leveraging a variety of publicly available data sources to identify the most suitable metrics.

After collating all the data we generated a normalised score for each of the five missions and then aggregated these to create an overall composite score that provides an indication of overall levels of need. Each local authority is then ranked based on its composite score and assigned a position out of 307 (Isles of Scilly and City of London are excluded due to data availability issues). For instance, if a local authority ranks within the top 20% it would indicate that it falls within the top 20% most in need in the country. This scoring method enables us to assess performance relative to every other local authority.

It is important to note that there are limitations to consider. For example, there is poor alignment between NHS organisational data and the policy initiatives that Labour have outlined and due to the availability of data at the local authority level it is sometimes challenging to find a meaningful metric that aligns with the objective. Consequently, in some cases we have utilised proxies to meet the objective. In a few instances we have also had to resort to slightly larger spatial levels (e.g. Counties or Community Safety Partnership areas) and apply that data to the constituent districts. However, this has only been as a last resort and we have made every effort to use the most granular level of data with the most recent temporal coverage wherever possible.

From analysis to action

The construction of the Missions Index marks one of the first attempts to align local authority level metrics with the Government's mission-led objectives. We understand that this is not perfect, but it provides the first crucial step to establish a data framework through which need at a local level can be understood and contextualised. We welcome feedback at this early stage to help shape and refine the index so that it meets the needs of local government and effectively supports decision-making.

The variation in levels of need, both between regions and within regions, revealed through our analysis also serves as a stark reminder of the entrenched disparities that still exist across the country and will no doubt be a clear focus in the upcoming Budget. This also highlights the necessity for a deep dive into each of the five missions to unravel what is driving need in greater detail and to identify the measures local authorities have at their disposal to influence. Over the coming months we plan to undertake further analysis to delve into each mission in more detail and will be sharing the findings of those soon.

The challenge of finding suitable metrics has also highlighted the need for clarity on targets and metrics, which will be key to transforming Labour’s missions from ambitious goals into actionable and measurable successes. As we near the Autumn Budget, it will be interesting to see if some of these gaps can be addressed. Additionally, a number of key questions remain unanswered: How will cross-government collaboration be facilitated to accomplish the missions? What assurances can be given regarding funding and flexibility to make investment decisions that genuinely address local needs? Will there be expanded opportunities for partnership working, whether with businesses or the public sector, to advance the missions? While we shouldn’t expect quick answers to any of these, we look forward to finding out what the new Government is thinking on how it can deliver its mission-driven ambition.