Council leaders have joined forces with MPs, lords, mayors and businesses in a parliamentary group to promote the Northern Powerhouse.
It aims to be the 'voice of business and civic leaders in the North', so that the region can make a greater contribution to the UK economy.
Major areas of focus will be raising educational standards across the North and narrowing the skills gap, working to improve rail, road and air connectivity, increasing productivity and exploring further devolution deals for the region.
To coincide with today’s launch of the Northern Powerhouse All Party Parliamentary Group at the House of Commons a conference has been announced to take place early next year in Leeds.
Speakers at the launch include Cllr Sir Richard Leese, Leader Manchester City Council, Cllr Judith Blake, Leader, Leeds City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader, Newcastle City Council, Ben Houchen, Mayor of the Tees Valley and Cllr Carl Les, Leader, North Yorkshire County Council.
The group's associate vice chair, Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram, said: 'It’s vitally important that we build the widest possible coalition in support of economic rebalancing and that the case for the Northern Powerhouse is advocated consistently and robustly both within the North and at the centre of national political decision-making.'
