Exclusive:Poll shows pressure on Government to boost North's economy after 30 years 'of decline'

The polling, shared exclusively with The Yorkshire Post, from the Good Growth Foundation is part of the think tank’s campaign to support a “Northern Growth Corridor”.

Praful Nargund, director of the GGF, said: “This is a massive opportunity to close the gap in productivity and quality of life - to make sure that growth in the North is not only strong, but shared, and that every community sees the benefit.”

The idea of a Northern Arc, in a similar vein to the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, has been pushed by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to boost investment on both sides of the Pennines.

The think tank has surveyed 83 constituencies, more than half of which are from Yorkshire and the Humber, to inform its research.

And while the polling shows strong pride across the region, there is also economic pessimism, especially when compared to London and the South East.

Some 55 per cent of respondents think the North’s economy has worsened over the last 30 years, with decline in traditional industries and limited government support being the main reasons.

More than a third of people think living in the North has given them fewer opportunities in life, while young people say more high-paying jobs and better career progression would stop them migrating south.

Almost two-thirds of people polled in Yorkshire said they had a huge sense of pride in their community, and a similar level wanted more co-operation across the North.

Mr Nargund added: “People in Yorkshire are proud of their roots - proud of their towns, their graft and their sense of community.

“But they’re also frustrated that opportunities too often flow south while potential here goes untapped.

“We can’t let people be short-changed by a system where they put in and don’t get back.

“It’s time to back Northern leaders, with more power and money, and build a future where young people can thrive without feeling they have to leave their home region to get on in life.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said one of her main aims is to bring economic growth to all parts of the country.

To do this, the Government has ramped up devolution and extended powers to mayors across the North.

West Yorkshire’s Tracy Brabin has consistently said that if the “question is growth, then transport is the answer”.

She has pledged to deliver a tram network to connect Leeds and Bradford by the 2030s.

The mayors are pushing for the long-awaited announcement for Northern Powerhouse Rail, a high-speed line to connect cities on both sides of the Pennines, to be evenly distributed.

Labour’s three Yorkshire mayors are now working more closely together through the White Rose Agreement, while all of the North’s mayors are now collaborating under the Great North.

Ms Reeves recently appointed former Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan as the Government’s “Northern Growth Envoy” to work with the Treasury and the Department for Transport.

Mr Riordan said: “It’s a genuine honour to become the government’s envoy for such an important growth corridor.”