'Playing the long game to bring power to the North'

What does the Northern Powerhouse mean for Yorkshire and its major cities like Sheffield and Leeds?

Dan Jarvis: How One Yorkshire devolution deal can put county in pole positionI profoundly regret this and hope that even at this last stage, something can be retrieved from the Sheffield City Region devolution deal. A Yorkshire Mayor would still be an option for the future, but here and now there is new funding and powers on offer that would bring real economic benefits to the people of South Yorkshire and beyond.

South Yorkshire isn’t the only area that has struggled to reach an agreement. Back in March 2015 a devolution deal or further powers and spending was proposed for West Yorkshire Combined Authority but, similarly to Sheffield City Region, disagreements over boundaries and governance arrangements have brought this to a halt. Deal or no deal, we must press on with growing the economy of the North.

The Government has said that it remains committed to the Northern Powerhouse and to rebalancing our economy. Andrew Jones, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and a native Yorkshireman, was in Gateshead at the North East Economic Forum on Friday delivering a positive message of Government intent to the North on devolution, connectivity and skills.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats are also very committed to economic rebalancing so there is much to go after here.

Devolution was a tool designed to make growing the economy of an area easier through joined-up thinking on infrastructure and skills, but it is not the only tool at our disposal.

Critically, from its inception, the Northern Powerhouse was about much more than just Government policy. The initiative gave an impetus and a focus to work together under one brand and drive forward positive changes. The recent investment by Boeing and MacLaren in South Yorkshire, as well as DONG Energy further East shows a huge vote of confidence in our region from big international investors.

We have seen the formation of the excellent Transport for the North, charged with finding a pathway forwards for our strategic transport future. In Manchester and Liverpool we have now elected metro mayors who can act as a powerful voice for the entire North to keep campaigning on our priorities, as we’ve seen recently with the ongoing ‘Crossrail for the North’ campaign.

When Chris Grayling announced in July that the Government was to scrap the long-awaited and much-delayed electrification of the Midland Mainline, shortly followed by a statement from Mr Grayling in support of a second Crossrail project in London, business leaders, politicians and think tanks across the North were justifiably angry. But his trip to Leeds and Manchester last week means that our collective concerns may at last be being heard by Whitehall.

We are playing a long game. Next February, thousands of leaders from the worlds of politics and business, will come together at the third annual Northern Powerhouse Conference to celebrate our collective successes and to focus on the areas to double down on.

The Advisory Board, of which I am chair, continues to work year-round to promote what the North has to offer and set an agenda that is forward thinking and relevant. Local Government, businesses, and communities all need to be part of the conversation for how we realise the undoubted potential of the North.

The Northern Powerhouse Conference is a sounding board for new thinking on how to grow the North’s economy and make it work for everyone. Back in 2016 at the first Northern Powerhouse Conference, one of the recommendations made by our delegates was the establishment of a Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

To this, the Government listened and, at our 2017 conference, the fund was launched by the British Business Bank. NPIF has now invested £10m into small and medium size enterprises in the North of England which will help to create extra jobs and encourage more private sector investment.

By bringing together the leaders and key thinkers from the North and beyond together across two days to meet face-to-face, we can make real progress. Growth of the North is not a zero-sum game. In a globalised world, we need to view each other more as partners rather than competitors.

What is good for Leeds, is good for Manchester and is good for Hull and the North East. What is a set-back for devolution in Sheffield City Region is unfortunately a set-back for us all. But by working together, thinking innovatively and shouting about our collective strengths we will be able to overcome

this and move forward.

Lord Kerslake is Chairman of UK Northern Powerhouse Conference Advisory Board