Northern Mayors have unveiled The Great North, a new partnership to unlock a new era of jobs, opportunity and prosperity for the North.
The Mayors launched the new body at an event in Leeds, which brings Mayors and local leaders together to unlock the North’s economic potential in key sectors including clean energy, defence and advanced manufacturing and creative industries.
Chaired by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, The Great North has been backed by Government, with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner endorsing the organisation.
It will lead international trade missions on pan-Northern investment propositions and host a new Northern Investment Summit to champion opportunity and potential of the North’s 15 million people.
Opportunities for the North identified by Mayors include:
- An energy coast proposition down the east coast powering the clean energy revolution, building on 50% of England’s renewable energy already being generated in the north.
- The Northern Arc and White Rose Plan stretching from the north west across the Pennines anchored by investment in the Transpennine Route Upgrade and proposals in the White Rose Rail report and Liverpool-Manchester Railway.
- A northern security corridor reaching down from Cumbria and the North East through Lancashire, and bringing together key industrial, engineering and cyber assets that will be essential in securing the UK’s international security.
- Advanced materials and manufacturing corridors bringing together Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, with links into key neighbouring economies, or between the North East and Tees Valley.
- The One Creative North partnership which will build on and boost the North of England’s creative industries, driving inward investment and economic growth, and delivering new opportunities for creatives and communities to thrive.
A new report by The Great North launched at the event reveals the North could add £118 billion to UK PLC with the right investments – with the North leading the way as the UK pursues security in uncertain global context, with growth, energy security and defence top of the agenda.
The Great North will catalyse the potential of its creative industries and culture through One Creative North, a pan-regional partnership to ensure that Northern creative industries have the finance, skills and connectivity they need to thrive and attract global investment and tourism, boosting jobs and growth.
It marks a new era in the North’s devolution journey, moving on from initiatives imposed by Westminster, to one where local leaders develop a shared vision and strategy to unlock the North’s potential.
The Great North will harness the momentum of the Devolution White Paper, to shift powers to elected Mayors representing more than 15 million people, working with local authorities, business, academia, arms-length bodies, and existing pan-Northern group and bodies.
The White Paper praised Northern Mayors for collaborating on shared priorities and signalled government support for the mayoral-led partnership.
Hull and East Yorkshire Mayor Luke Campbell said: “We have a great opportunity to do things differently, and put our local communities first, thanks to devolved funding and decision-making powers.
“As a new Combined Authority, it’s a fantastic opportunity for Hull and East Yorkshire to join up across the north on transport and other major infrastructure projects where we can make big changes happen and improve people’s lives, by working together. And locally we can make decisions with people, not for people – and show that we are totally transparent and accountable to our communities.”
