‘Give North power to unlock its economic potential’

Mr Riordan was speaking at an event in Leeds discussing how the city can work with Manchester to close the North-South divide.

He said: “Of course we are in competition for some investments but if you step back and think where in the UK are the centres of growth outside London and the South East, really the place you are drawn to is this urbanised area across the North of England.”

Mr Riordan highlighted moves to take control over the franchise for rail services in the North as evidence of the significant transpennine co-operation already underway.

He said Leeds had learned lessons from Manchester but also called for the Yorkshire city to shout louder about is own achievements.

And he identified devolution as a key element to developing the North’s economy, arguing the devolved administrations had a “completely different dialogue” with Ministers compared with English authorities.

He said: “I personally think too much powers rests in London and Whitehall, especially with the devolution that’s taken place to Scotland, and to Wales and Northern Ireland from London. England is the unfinished business of devolution.”

He added: “If Whitehall was so good I wouldn’t have a problem with them running everything but look at the recent experience we have got of things like rail franchising, things like the heart unit, things like the way some of local government funding has been assessed. In many areas I think its absolutely the case that we could do a better job and that’s why we should be doing it.”