Mayors and leaders in the North of England have written to the Chancellor ahead of the Budget, calling for major investment to unlock growth and opportunity across the region.
The joint letter from The Great North coalition urges Government to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail in full — including a new Liverpool–Manchester line via Bradford and electrification from Leeds to Sheffield — alongside upgrades to the Hope Valley and Leamside lines.
The leaders are also pressing for a new devolved funding settlement to support local enterprise, calling for long-term replacements for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund.
Their third ask is for action on child poverty, including ending the two-child benefit cap, which they say would lift 100,000 Northern children out of poverty.
Chair of The Great North, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, said: ‘The North of England has to be at the vanguard of the Government’s mission to unlock the growth the country and communities badly need. That’s why we’re calling on the Government to make game-changing investment in our infrastructure and wholesale reform of business support so we can unleash the potential of people and businesses.’
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