Julian welcomes the Chancellor’s initiative to promote a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ to rival London
June 25, 2014
Julian has endorsed George Osborne’s plans for a ‘second global city’ in the North of England.
In this week’s Treasury Questions, Mr Sturdy asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer ‘ As we strive to close the north-south divide and continue to deliver faster growth for the north, what further steps is my right hon. Friend proposing to promote the area as an economic powerhouse to rival London and our global competitors?’
Mr Osborne responded by saying ‘Yesterday I had a very good meeting in Manchester with civic leaders from all parties and with universities from the north of England to discuss how we could improve the transport links across the Pennines and through Yorkshire and Lancashire and ensure that we have strong civic governance as well. Today’s investment by Abu Dhabi in Manchester is a good example of the confidence in the northern economy.’
Welcoming the Chancellor’s announcement, Julian said ‘I am delighted that the Chancellor is supporting Yorkshire and the wider Northern economy. Connections between our Northern cities need to be improved in order to unleash our economic potential and re-balance the British economy.
‘The proposed HS3 line along the existing rail corridor demonstrates just how committed the Government is to continued investment in Yorkshire, which is a key part of our long term economic plan to tackle the North-South divide head on.’
