Last week, the UK government launched its latest paper on ‘Levelling Up’.

It’s a concept I agree with – we need to spread investment across the UK and focus on the communities who need it most. But this can’t just be yet another catchy slogan.

It’s interesting that when news channels asked what the funding should be focused on, public opinion was dominated by requests to spend more revenue on core services, rather than for capital investment.

That’s because those same communities have been disproportionately impacted by austerity over the past decade.

On the same day the Levelling Up paper was released, a cross-party report by MPs found that Michael Gove’s department had ‘very limited understanding’ of the impact cuts to local government funding have had on services. Council funding across the border in England has fallen by more than 50 per cent in real terms since 2010, with the poorest areas hit hardest.

So investment in those communities is needed, but at the moment it feels a bit like a sales pitch. We’re being told to buy a ticket to ride in a magic elevator, without knowing whether it’s attached to a cable.

What ‘left behind communities’ (or however you want to label them) need is sustained investment in infrastructure and services, better employment opportunities, improved local environments, and work to tackle key areas like skills, health and wellbeing, financial inclusion and youth services.

Instead, the levelling up scheme risks being a beauty pageant, with communities competing against each other for the golden ticket so that ministers can parade announcements.

Aside from the point about style over substance, three things concern me about this approach. Firstly, as a council leader, coming off the back of austerity and structural funds being lost, it feels a bit like having a tenner taken off you then having to plead for a fiver back.

Secondly, I fear that many of the communities with the greatest need have the least ability to put together impressive-looking funding bids.

Thirdly, I worry that the publicity around levelling up builds expectations unrealistically. It can help solve some problems, but sustained investment is needed, not just one-off announcements.

So I’m keen to work with both UK and Welsh Governments and will happily put politics aside to work constructively. Any investment is welcome, and I hope this builds momentum and genuine ambition for economic regeneration. But local voices need listening to, not talking at.

All too-often, our centralised state works in top-down decrees, with Whitehall taking centre stage rather than communities being empowered to take the lead. We’re not always immune from centralising tendencies in Wales either, or indeed in our councils – we too need to learn to become catalysts of change rather than trying to control all we survey.

Lastly, we need to talk up our areas, not talk them down. Negativity about our communities achieves nothing. Yes we have challenges. Other areas have more wealth, but we have so much on our side. Great people, fantastic communities. If we work together, we can build a brighter future.