From rhetoric to reality

BUSINESSES must help to push for investment, leadership and urgency to turn talk of a Northern Powerhouse into reality was the key message from business and policy speakers yesterday.

The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce talk coincided with the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Guests were told the North needs to act as one large economic region to compete with rival powerful cities globally.

City regions with populations of 10 million are becoming more common worldwide and England’s northern cities and towns need a new “pan-northern” transport, investment, business and political arrangement for future prosperity.

Speakers said the north faces being squeezed by a powerful London and a competitive Scotland, where the SNP Government is strongly engaging with businesses.

The meeting called on the Government’s forthcoming spending review to “make a step-change” in commitment to the north, with government spending of up to £50billion to attract greater private investment.

Clive Memmott, chief executive of Greater Manchester Chamber, said there was widespread confusion about English devolution, which includes devolution of some powers to Greater Manchester, and the Chancellor’s vision of a Northern Powerhouse across the north.

He said: “Devolution must happen and will happen at different rates. This is a catastrophically over-centralised country.”