Business and political leaders set out five ‘gamechangers’ for levelling up the North

Political and business leaders from across the North of England has set out five ‘gamechanger’ policies that will help the region lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution and allowing government to deliver on its levelling up promise.

In a document published by the NP11 group of northern local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), the North’s leaders set out their vision for collaboration across the region and with Westminster that will grow an inclusive economy and tackle health inequalities. The five points of focus put forward are:

• Leading the Green Industrial Revolution
• 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
• Increasing private and public investment in R&D spending in the North

The five gamechangers represent a combined Northern offer to Government to ensure the North plays its full part in levelling up the UK, leading the transition to a Net Zero economy and developing a competitive Global Britain.

Leaders have invited the Secretary of State for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, to join them for a working Convention in Liverpool in January 2022, focused on turning the Government’s positive commitment to level up the North into action.

Sir Roger Marsh OBE DL, Chair of the NP11 and of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said:

“The North has phenomenal assets in areas such as energy, advanced manufacturing, health innovation and digital that can power the UK’s post-COVID recovery and create jobs and opportunity for our people. As a combined region, we also have the scale to help the Government deliver on its ambition for a competitive and confident Global Britain.

“Successful partnership working between the public and private sectors is going to be crucial to delivering the gamechangers we have collectively identified. Businesses drive innovation and create quality jobs, both of which contribute to people’s health, wealth and quality of life. This is why the NP11 is adding its business voice to that of northern civic leaders in making this offer today.”

The full report is available to download here.