Saying that he was humbled by the trust millions of voters placed” in the Conservatives at the election and that “the work to repay that trust begins here”, The Prime Minister announced 29 new bills in today’s Queen’s speech.

For people in the North of England , a White paper to hand powers to the regions, boosting the number of mayors and giving greater autonomy to combined authorities was announced along with plans to create a new shared prosperity fund to replace EU structural funds after Brexit and to be made available across the UK.

The government will commit to ending the system of rail franchising introduced as part of 1990 privatisation and replace it with a new model focusing on performance and reliability. It is expected to build on recommendations in a review into the system being carried out by the Williams Rail Review that was established under Theresa May.

They also plan to open up lines and stations that have been closed and pledged to improve rail services in the North and Midlands.

Powers to build phase two of the high-speed rail link between London and the North. However, this is “without prejudice” to a review on whether it should go ahead

A renters reform bill will make  “no fault” evictions illegal while setting up a new lifetime deposit scheme that could transfer between properties.

There will also be a new register of rogue landlords. Landlords promised a streamlined court process to get their properties back.

Plans were also announced for a new building safety regulations to prevent a repeat of the Grenfell Tower fire of 2017, which killed 72 people.

On climate change, the government says it will bring forward a series of measures in the budget to ensure it can meet its target to make the UK carbon neutral by 2050.

Reacting to the speech on levelling up” and plans for devolution in England, IPPR Interim Director Arianna Giovannini said:

“We welcome the commitment to enhancing English devolution. New Mayors and a ‘levelling up’ of powers will help us move beyond England’s over-centralisation and the inequalities that it entrenches.

“But devolution is still in its early stages in England and needs to go further. We look forward to the promised White Paper which must be brought forward early in the new year.

“The promised “full devolution” must be inclusive – ensuring that economic growth has a positive impact on people’s lives and is genuinely felt across the North’s communities. It must focus on more than productivity and growth alone, so the North can tackle its social and environmental challenges too. It should devolve meaningful powers to all places across England, including the towns and cities of the North, to ensure that decisions about the North are made locally and bring politics closer to the people.”

On plans for a ‘national infrastructure strategy’ and an investment of £100 billion in UK infrastructure, Interim Director Arianna Giovannini said:

“For too long, the North has received political promises of infrastructure that have failed to materialise. The new government cannot afford more empty words, so it will need to deliver infrastructure investment with urgency – putting spades in the ground as soon as possible to get the North’s economy moving.

“We now need to see £70 billion going into Transport for the North’s investment plan, with powers passed to Northern leaders, so that our region can take control of its transport network. And whilst the commitment to building Northern Powerhouse Rail between Leeds and Manchester is a start, it is imperative that the full proposals, drawn up by the North itself, are delivered from Liverpool to Hull and Newcastle.

“Our railways should be controlled by Northern leaders and Transport for the North. Only then can they serve the people living here”.

Claire Ainsley, executive director at the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said:

“Now the election is over, Boris Johnson must make good on his promise to unleash Britain’s potential. This Queen’s Speech begins a conversation about what is needed to support working families and those parts of our country locked out of economic opportunities. His party now represents areas of our country that have never voted Conservative before and where faith in politics needs to be restored.

“The Government has raised the expectations of voters across the country and must deliver the transformational change they are crying out for. Piecemeal reforms that we have seen in the past will not do justice to the ambition of the campaign. Now ministers have a full term and a comfortable majority they must make better jobs, affordable homes and regional investment a reality. It’s time to get to work on righting the wrong of 14 million people trapped in poverty and unlock opportunities across the country.”

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