Ben Houchen
The Northern Powerhouse is at risk of being defined by its detractors. For the publicity-hungry politician, there are column inches in playing up the north-south divide. They forget that it’s up to us, as northern leaders, to turn our fortunes around. Home to more than 15m people, 1m businesses, seven international airports and some of the world’s top universities, we should not passively accept the story of decline in the north.
When it comes to investment, the government’s Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund has already made hundreds of millions of pounds available to businesses from Merseyside to Middlesbrough. In the region I represent as mayor, we are making millions available to support businesses.