Political leaders from across the North have urged the Government to back give 鈥榞amechanger鈥 projects that they say hold the key to the region鈥檚 recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The leaders from the North West, North East and Yorkshire and Humber have urged Levelling Up Minister Michael Gove to meet them to discuss how the region can 鈥減lay a leading role鈥 in helping the nation recover from the pandemic.
Northern leaders say the region of 15m people can lead what they describe as 鈥榯he Fourth Industrial Revolution鈥 and help the Prime Minister deliver his 鈥榣evelling up鈥 promises.
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The 鈥榞amechanger鈥 requests to government focus on leading the 鈥榞reen industrial revolution鈥, closing the healthy life expectancy gap between the North and South through innovation, closing the education and skills gap, improving connectivity in towns and cities in the North and increasing private and public investment in research and development spending in the North.
Leaders will gather this morning at three coordinated events in Liverpool, Bradford and Gateshead to describe the five 鈥済amechanger鈥 requests which could help the North make a bigger contribution to the national economy and bridge the North-South health gap which widened during the pandemic. The video setting out their ideas
They have invited Michael Gove, the recently-appointed Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary, to attend the planned Convention of the North event to be held in Liverpool in January to turn the Government鈥檚 words into action.
The last Convention of the North in September 2019 saw Boris Johnson and a host of senior Tories descend on Rotherham in South Yorkshire in the months before the General Election.
Nick Forbes, Newcastle City Council leader and chair of the Convention of the North, said: 鈥淲e have a much louder voice and far greater impact when we work together, and that is something that we, through the Convention of the North and NP11, are acutely aware of.
鈥淭he Convention of the North is the perfect place for political, business and cultural leaders to come together to show how we can collectively drive our country forwards, building on the vast expertise within our regions to develop skills, modernise communities, promote growth and build a sustainable economy as we transition into a net zero world. It is our opportunity to demonstrate the power and the potential of the North.
鈥淭he country as a whole has suffered enormously during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the North of England, with its rich heritage and ambitions for the future, is poised to play a leading role in the national recovery.
鈥淏ut we need to create lasting, purposeful partnerships to achieve this, and key to that is winning the full backing of central Government.鈥
Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, said: 鈥淭oday is a powerful statement of northerners鈥 desire to get on with the job of levelling up, working together across the North and with Government.
鈥淭hrough a clear focus on our levelling up priorities of health, skills, transport, innovation and leading the transition to net zero, we can deliver an inclusive, productive, sustainable economy that works for all northerners and for the country.
鈥淎s an immediate action, we鈥檙e here in Bradford today to call on Government once again to publish its Integrated Rail Plan and commit to delivering both Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 in full.
鈥淲e will not be able to achieve levelling up without an affordable, effective and reliable transport system that connects people to jobs, education and essential services.鈥
Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram said: 鈥淭he pandemic has hit our combined region harder than anywhere else though, so to close the life expectancy gap and ensure people in the North have the same opportunities as people in other parts of the 海角视频, we need to move into action now.
鈥淲e have some phenomenal assets in the North that can help the Government meet its commitments. We鈥檙e making an offer today to work with the Government to deliver on the commitments. In return we鈥檙e asking the Government to back the North.
鈥淕ive us the tools to lead the country鈥檚 transition to a net zero economy and take decisions about the North, in the North. I look forward to welcoming Mr Gove to Liverpool next year so we can get to work and turn our collective northern ambition into action.鈥
Their report, backed by leaders including Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen, Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston, Bradford council leader Susan Hinchcliffe, South Yorkshire mayor Dan Jarvis and Hull city council leader Daren Hale, says the North is 鈥渋n a unique position to deliver Levelling Up and the Net Zero transition鈥.
And it adds: 鈥淪ix out of the nine existing Metro Mayors are in the North, with more to follow; our business community is united behind this objective; and we have the human, natural and economic assets to make this happen.
鈥淭he Northern Powerhouse has always been about maximising the opportunities of scale through investment in connectivity, skills, research and development and through devolution.
鈥淢any of the institutional pieces are now in place, including through recent developments such as Treasury North in Darlington, Channel 4 and the new National Infrastructure Bank in Leeds, and the newly established West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
鈥淎nd new Net Zero investments are rapidly taking shape along the east coast from Blyth to the Humber, together with the decarbonisation clusters in the North West and Teesside, and the hydrogen battery plants at Nissan and British Volt.鈥
