“Today’s Budget has made a start on levelling up the North but in truth it is only a start.” said Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham.
“ Ministers have made a lot of promises to people here over recent months but what has been announced today does not live up to the rhetoric. The Government will need to up its game in the Spending Review later this year if, as the Chancellor might say, they are really going to get the Northern Powerhouse done.
“One of the most welcome announcements was the Chancellor signalling the end of the cladding nightmare for thousands of residents across the country. But the devil will be in the detail. By limiting the funding to buildings over 18 metres, he is excluding multi-story buildings like the Cube in Bolton which caught fire last year. As welcome as this announcement is, the Chancellor may well need to go further so all residents can sleep safe in their beds.
“The Prime Minister is fond of saying, rightly, that the people of the North lent him their votes. He and his Government will need to do much more in the Autumn than today’s modest measures if he is to repay those loans.”
“The Chancellor’s budget speech today included some encouraging news that could see much-needed investment in the region, not least around transport infrastructure. And we hope for confirmation of funding that would help us unlock key sites for major housing investment as part of the Northern Powerhouse project, helping to transform Collyhurst and the Irk Valley in north Manchester.2 said Sir Richard Leese head of Manchester City Council
“However, as always, the devil is in the detail and we will keep the celebration on ice until we understand exactly what these budget announcements mean for Manchester. Increased funding for Local Government – particularly for rising social care costs – was absent from today’s speech, and we know that this, along with benefit cuts, continues to have the biggest impact on our residents.”
IPPR North Director Sarah Longlands warns that more must be done to “level up” the country:
“A budget that seeks to level up is long overdue, but it is nowhere near enough.
“For too long, the North has been let down. Too much power is hoarded by Whitehall. Over the last decade that power has been used to impose devastating austerity, which has disproportionately impacted upon the North’s economic and human potential.
“A levelled-up England is one where all regions, towns and cities can realise their potential. Where inequalities, between and within regions no longer exist, and opportunity and prosperity are open to everyone across the country. To achieve this, we need to rebuild the foundations of our local communities devastated by austerity. That means much more coherent and long-term investment for local education, childcare, skills and health services.
“Most importantly, we need a ‘devolution parliament’ which moves power and decision making closer to the people”.
Claire Ainsley, Executive Director of the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation said:
“The test for levelling up the country is whether it helps those who are locked out of opportunities to boost their standards of living. This budget was a strong start, but there’s still more to do to target support where it’s needed most.
“The rise in the National Living Wage by 2024 must be followed up with ambitious ongoing plans for skills, jobs, social security and housing if the Government is to show that it is serious about breaking poverty’s grip on families around the UK.
“Infrastructure spending is welcome and is a crucial element of levelling up, as is reorienting spending to the places and people that need it most. People and skills need investment too and this Budget must be the start of a government-wide focus on delivering routes out of poverty for families throughout the UK.
“The first Budget of this new decade rightly focuses on using our public services – social security and the health service – to support people who may be at risk from the health and economic effects of the coronavirus.
“Removing the minimum income floor from Universal Credit and reducing time before claiming employment and support allowance will help self-employed workers, especially those on low incomes or in precarious jobs who are affected by the spread of coronavirus. We also need action on the five week wait for people who need to claim Universal Credit so that it provides a lifeline during a challenging time for our nation.
“Our social security system can be the key to unlocking poverty’s constraints on families, especially those with children who are struggling to get by. Boosting this would be much more effective than the changes to the National Insurance thresholds”.
Barry White, Chief Executive of Transport for the North, said: “Recognition that the Treasury “Green Book” way of making investment decisions does not work is nothing new to the people of the North. For years now they have felt the effects of underinvestment and it is time for that to change. We have long advocated for a transformational approach to investment appraisals, which would ensure the North gets the investment it truly needs to kick-start the “levelling up” process.
“We are disappointed that Northern Powerhouse Rail continues to be talked about only in terms of the Manchester to Leeds leg, and we remain clear that this transformative rail project must be delivered in full. The £500,000 to support Bradford’s regeneration and development plans around the crucial Northern Powerhouse Rail central station – something which we believe is a priority for the city’s growth – is good news but must be supported by ongoing investment in the NPR project across the whole route.
“The West Yorkshire devolution deal and committed funding for our region’s mayors highlight the move towards further devolution, and we will continue our calls for a dedicated “Northern Budget” so that sustained and substantial transport investment can be made in our region according to our needs.
“Today’s Budget opens up the pathway to the Comprehensive Spending Review, and with the National Infrastructure Strategy delayed and Integrated Rail Plan recently announced, there are many opportunities for Northern leaders to be at the heart of investment decisions for our region.”
Adrian Ellis, Chairman of the Manchester Hoteliers’ Association and General Manager of the Lowry Hotel said
“The abolishment of business rates is great and welcome news for the hospitality industry, as this will help support the UK economy in the face of the disruption caused by the Coronavirus.
“Hotel occupancy is falling, and restaurant bookings and footfall is quickly in decline, so the impact of COVID-19 is already being felt countrywide by business across the leisure and hospitality sector.
“The policy will help businesses deal with the threat of the Coronavirus and the support will enable us to temporarily resolve cashflow problems and pull through this difficult period.”
