The next prime minister will have their work cut out trying to convince East of England business leaders about the merits of one of the government's key economic and social commitments.

Less than half of the East of England's key business decision-makers in mid-sized companies think the government's flagship Levelling Up agenda will lift this region, a study shows.

The East's business top brass are the most sceptical of all the regions with just 46% believing it would help their local area, according to new research from accountants Grant Thornton. The average across the regions is 68%, its Business Outlook Tracker shows.

Grant Thornton's regional boss James Brown is not surprised that business leaders here are less engaged - given the government has always focused on the North-South economic divide.

The firm's partner and practice leader suggests the way Levelling Up has been framed has played a role in its lukewarm reception in this region.

The government's Levelling Up drive is aimed at rebalancing the UK economy away from London and the South East - but East of England's business leader reported the lowest understanding of what the aims of the agenda are. Just 54% said they understood them, compared to a national average of 69%.

Just 54% of East of England respondents saw a role for a business like theirs in delivering the Levelling Up agenda - lagging some way behind the UK average of 73%.

The results suggest the incoming PM faces an uphill struggle to convince the business community it will make a positive difference in the region.

The survey also looked at which of the 12 Levelling Up missions were most important to local businesses. Regional mid-sized firms' leaders ranked improving people’s wellbeing (34%) as the top priority followed by improving people’s health (30%) and reducing crime, giving more power to local politicians and investing in high-quality skills training at joint third (all 26%).

“The rebalancing debate has always focused on a North-South divide, so it’s no surprise that business leaders in the East have low levels of engagement," said Mr Brown.

"That should be a concern for anyone tasked with delivering on Levelling Up. There are significant social and regeneration challenges here, which grow the further away you get from economic hot spots like Cambridge and Norwich.

"Our market towns, ports and coastal communities have a real struggle to be heard but they certainly have a role to play in driving the national economy forward. Some of the most exciting developments in clean energy, for example, are located on the east coast. Oil is a finite resource. The wind is not. So it follows that the East can also help future proof the UK economy from an energy perspective.

“We await to see how the UK’s Shared Prosperity Fund will play out, but the devolution of funding and powers can make a difference on physical regeneration and connecting places. Here, as everywhere, transport is a key enabler of economic growth, so more investment is vital.”