The MP for Carlisle has thrown his weight behind a 10-point plan that calls on the Government to deliver for the north.
Following the PM’s announcement that restrictions will lift as of July 19, John Stevenson and the Northern Research Group, a group of more than 50 northern Conservative Members of Parliament, has demanded that the Government show the north the love this summer.
The group has put forward proposals for a 10–point action plan that focuses on levelling up the north in real terms and centres on a transport revolution, lower taxes and initiatives to attract businesses to the north.
In the plan, the Northern Research Group has called on the Government to build on the long history of science and engineering in the north. The NRG believe a ‘Science and Engineering Corridor’ would ensure there are higher-paying jobs across the ‘Red Wall’.
John Stevenson said: “This is an opportunity for the Government to reaffirm its commitment to the north, on which the Prime Minister now relies for his majority in Parliament, by encouraging investment and getting jobs and industry back in the heart of the north.
“People in my constituency tell me they want their children to be able to get a good education and skills training in order for them to be able to grasp the opportunities for good, well-paid jobs and careers locally rather than them being forced to relocate south.
“Since December 2019 we have heard a lot about plans to level up the north, now is the time to show how we can deliver. Our 10-point plan cuts through the red tape that Whitehall departments try to tie this whole agenda down with.
“The people of Carlisle do not care about the internal goings-on at Westminster. They want real jobs, real change, and real opportunities. It’s time to start delivering an ambitious programme at pace if we are going to see real progress this summer.”
The 10-point action plan
- Northern Economic Recovery Plan – A regional economic recovery strategy that focuses on ‘Red Wall’ communities and commits to a further year of levelling-up funding and has infrastructure at its heart.
- Towns Fund – The most deprived areas outside of London should be automatically given a special grant as part of the Towns Fund to ensure that levelling up is an equal process across the UK. This should be combined with an expectation that local authorities will use their powers to use financial incentives, such as lower business rates, to attract businesses to the town.
- Northern Growth Board – This independent and private sector-led advisory board, in collaboration with the public sector, would be given a mandate to put forward ideas, policies, and initiatives to deliver growth across the north. The board would have powers to instigate projects cutting across the silos of both Whitehall and the northern townhalls.
- Private investment – Government investment is only part of levelling up the north. To encourage private businesses to invest in the north, the Government should write off all investment against corporation tax for businesses in the north of England between now and 2025. This policy would ensure a long-term business and jobs-led recovery in the north.
- International partnerships – The north has always been an internationally-connected region with a proud history of innovation and manufacturing. This is not just part of its past, but part of unlocking its future. Attracting foreign investment through initiatives like the South Tees Development Corporation, the creation of an Office for International Investment in the North, together with other fiscal incentives will ensure a jobs-led recovery in the north.
- A Northern transport revolution – No longer will the north have to put up with outdated services. Under this policy the north would see the rollout of a seamless and smart ticketing system across northern towns and cities making the region better connected than ever before. Longer-term infrastructure like the Northern Powerhouse Rail should be part of a UK-wide transport plan that ensures people have access to a great transport system no matter where they live.
- Better roads, lower taxes – Abolish road tax in the north and end fuel duty by replacing it with a road pricing system which would see the revenue raised retained in the north to pay for vital infrastructure.
- Science and engineering corridor – The coronavirus recovery is the opportune time to seize on the expertise of the north, from Anglo American in Scarborough to Boeing in South Yorkshire. The Government as part of its drive for jobs should invest in initiatives that would create a ‘green engineering and manufacturing corridor’, close the R&D gap in the north, and expand the use of deep digital tech that would drive productivity and wage growth.
- Supporting left behind children – The pandemic has exacerbated the long-term disadvantage many children face across the north. Support for disadvantaged children should be as local as possible and focus on the root-causes and go hand-in-hand with a schools recovery programme.
- Skills for growth – Allowing the north to spearhead the Fourth Industrial Revolution means we must equip the next generation with the digital and tech skills that will be needed to support the north’s economic growth. An apprenticeship drive across the North and a region-wide skills plan to ensure the north offers some of the best skills in the world.