Mayor calls for substance on levelling up as new report highlights North-South divide

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has urged the Government to give substance to its levelling up rhetoric as a new report highlighted the North-South divide

The Mayor's call came in response to the IPPR North’s ‘State of the North’ report, which was published today.  

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “This report recognises that plans for levelling up the North still lack substance. It’s over two years since this Government was elected on a promise to rebalance the economy, but the North-South divide continues to widen.

“If the Government truly wants to rebalance the country, it should let go of some of its power and trust local and regional bodies to deliver for their communities. The Integrated Rail Plan was the latest example of the Government failing to deliver on its promises and ignoring local leaders.

“People in Greater Manchester deserve the same quality of infrastructure and services as people in the South. That’s why we continue to call on Minsters to back our plans for a London-style transport system with London-level fares.

“We want the North to become a more prosperous place for everyone living here, powering the transition net zero, with good employment available to all. We have the plans and ambitions to level up but we need Government to back us with the powers and funding to reach our full potential.”

Article Published: 17/01/2022 15:34 PM