The Northern Powerhouse Partnership think tank has set out a five-point plan as part of its call for a “New Deal” for the North
Its plan includes pledges to power the net-zero transition and the unlocking of training and apprenticeship opportunities
The plans coincide with the the annual Great Northern Summit which takes place today in Bradford
The plan calls for the building of Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2, while improving intra-city transport links, to give private investment the certainty it needs to deliver homes and jobs.
To increase the North’s share of public investment in research & development funding (R&D) to bring it in line with the Golden Triangle in the next decade – without reducing spending in the South East.
They ask for an unlocking of private investment for a fleet of small modular reactors (SMRS), carbon capture and storage (CCUS), and wider renewables as well as Northern-made heat pumps and home insulation.
To work with schools, charities and agencies to end the education disadvantage gap in the next decade through targeted interventions in persistently disadvantaged neighbourhoods and to transform the skills system and encourage businesses to invest in training by devolving more responsibility to metro mayors and allowing more flexibility in the apprenticeship levy.
Former Treasury Minister Lord Jim O’Neill, who chairs the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “The Northern Powerhouse as an economic project needs to last far beyond any one election cycle and we need genuine cross-party support to make that happen.”
He added:
“We need a new deal that goes beyond the usual tinkering and completely rewires the system, doubling down on devolution and rethinking our fiscal rules to restore some ambition to our approach to investment.
“Investors around the world have now woken up to the massive economic opportunity the North of England represents, but the private sector needs long-term certainty from government that it is ready to deliver on transport, education, skills, innovation and net-zero.
