Act now to end North’s power vacuum – The Yorkshire Post says

IT speaks volumes about the Government’s current state that this newspaper, and others, have to restate the case for the Northern Powerhouse – and ‘levelling up’ agenda – at this time of national crisis.
By YP Comment
Published 1st Oct 2020, 05:55 BST
Boris Johnson's first policy speech as Prime Minister was delivered last July on the issues of the Northern Powerhouse and 'levelling up'.Boris Johnson's first policy speech as Prime Minister was delivered last July on the issues of the Northern Powerhouse and 'levelling up'.
Boris Johnson's first policy speech as Prime Minister was delivered last July on the issues of the Northern Powerhouse and 'levelling up'.

Why? The economic and social fallout from this pandemic makes these policies even more important, and urgent, if regional inequalities – pronounced before the virus struck – are not to become even starker.

And it is ironic that Parliament’s Business Committee will today begin an inquiry into ‘levelling up’ agenda, and how local growth can be measured, when there’s so little to report as the Devolution White Paper is delayed.

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This much is clear after telling interventions by three senior public figures who have all been at the forefront of efforts to transform this region’s economic outlook, and who all supported the agenda-setting Power Up The North campaign spearheaded by The Yorkshire Post and oter media.

The Angel of the North became the symbol of the Power Up The North campaign.The Angel of the North became the symbol of the Power Up The North campaign.
The Angel of the North became the symbol of the Power Up The North campaign.

Both Lord Bob Kerslake, the former head of the Civil Service, and Lord Jim O’Neill, an architect of the Northern Powerhouse, accuse the Government of failing to deliver on its “rhetoric”. These are individuals who know how Whitehall works – or does not in this instance.

They are backed up by Jake Berry, the former Northern Powerhouse Minister, who has echoed our concerns on social media at the extent to which the role has been sidelined since he lost the right to attend the Cabinet and speak up on behalf of the 15 million people who live and work here.

And until there’s a dedicated unit overseeing the Northern Powerhouse and Levelling Up projects – based in the North and led by officials who understand the area’s potential and who are also proud to take ownership for the skills and infrastructure agendas – this newspaper, for one, will continue to scrutinise the sincerity of Boris Johnson’s words. Prime Minister, it’s now time for some action.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson

Related topics:Yorkshire PostGovernmentNorth

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