Katie Schmuecker: Who can be an Alex Salmond to speak for North?

Scotland already has an advantage over the North of England in economic terms. Not only is it a more prosperous part of the UK, it also has tools and resources to shape its economic future. Through Scottish Enterprise and its £300m budget, the Scottish government is able to identify those parts of the economy that are likely to deliver economic growth, jobs and prosperity. Some of their priority sectors may sound familiar to a Yorkshire audience – off-shore wind, creative industries, the food and drink sector and financial and business services to name a few.

Scotland’s real advantage, however, lies in its ability to put resource into supporting these industries; ensuring the right infrastructure is in place and that they can find workers with the right skills to fulfil business needs.

In England, following the abolition of regional development agencies like Yorkshire Forward, local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) have been established. These are voluntary arrangements between business and local government to try to facilitate and coordinate economic growth across a whole city region – like the Leeds or Sheffield city regions.

The resources and capacity of LEPs pale in comparison to their Scottish cousin. In some enterprising places – including West Yorkshire – local authorities are clubbing together to try to better drive this agenda. But this is not going to be enough, even if Michael Heseltine’s plan to devolve powers – and funding – to them is backed by the Treasury this summer.

The North risks being left further behind by its more powerful neighbour as the Scots contemplate independence. Even if the Scots reject independence in 2014 – and polls suggest they might – further powers (including tax powers) will follow for Scotland. David Cameron has already said he will look again at the powers of the Scottish Parliament if the Scots vote no to independence. Labour and the Liberal Democrats are doing likewise.

Salmond will no doubt argue that an independent or more powerful Scotland will be good for the North. Fiona Hyslop, his external affairs minister, has already made the argument that once Scotland is independent we would be able to work together as equals.

It is true that we share some common causes where we can collaborate, such as high s peed rail. The problem, however, is that we would be far from equal. The playing field, already tilted in Scotland’s favour, will tip further in their direction with greater powers. Indeed, well-targeted tax breaks for key growth sectors, alongside the ability to entice inward investors with generous grant packages, could give Scotland a considerable advantage.

So what should the North’s response be? We don’t argue that the North should try to stand in Scotland’s way. Rather, we think the North should learn from Scotland and have the confidence and ambition to say we can do this better, if only we had the tools to do so.

For the North of England to begin to level the playing field with Scotland, our city regions must accumulate far more powers. IPPR North’s Northern Economic Futures Commission believes that city regions should demand substantial powers and far more control over the resources spent in their area.

This is not simply about being able to identify the parts of the economy that will deliver jobs and growth in the future. It is about being able to ensure people get the training that local businesses need; firms get support to innovate and grow; and transport links are in place improving connectivity both within the North and to the wider world.

To win these sorts of concessions from Whitehall the North needs powerful advocates. This means speaking with a unified voice to argue that empowering our city regions will enable our economies to flourish – something that will be good for the whole of the UK economy, not just the North of England.

No matter what you might think about the cause of independence, you have to admit that promoting Scotland’s interests on a national and international stage is something that Alex Salmond does well. The question is, who can play this Salmond-like role for the Leeds and Sheffield city regions, or across the whole of the North?