I was going to begin my first blog with the heading:  Whither the Northern Powerhouse?  But nobody uses the word “whither” apart from in lecture theatres and posh Sunday supplements.  And “whither” can be confused with “wither” which means to fade or decay.  On second thoughts…

Wither the Northern Powerhouse.  

An editor recently asked if I believed in the idea of the Northern Powerhouse.  Believe?  Oh yes!  Just as a child believes in Disney – I thought that the dream of a magical make-over for my scruffy mate “The North” was irresistible.  But did I believe it would actually happen?  Well the answer to that was more like a story from Grimm than Disney.  And before you send round the trolls for calling the North “scruffy”…have you been on a tour of its towns recently?

Granted…many of our mighty Northern cities (with a few notable exceptions) have flourished over the past twenty years.  Although the British economy remains overwhelmingly weighted in favour of the South East, cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds have proved that the will and ability to shake off the post-industrial chains remains strong.  Tragically – in vast tracts of the urban North – the chains just stayed on… and rusted.

Seismic shifts.

In the midst of the seismic shifts in British politics of late you may have missed the fact that prime minister Theresa May has appointed a new Northern Powerhouse minister.  Andrew Percy MP says:

“As a proud Northerner, I am determined to ensure that people in every part of the North – from large cities to small rural communities – enjoy greater control over their lives and stronger, more sustainable economic growth.”

But experience has taught me to be sceptical…especially when politicians of any party talk about giving us “greater control.”  These days I believe in dreams when they have actually materialised.

Its not enough to say:  “The rate of employment is rising higher in the North than the South.”  When the employment rates come even close to those in the South East I will believe in the Northern Powerhouse.  When educational standards begin to approach those in the South I will believe in the Northern Powerhouse.  When life expectancy rates stop showing a significant disparity between North and South I will celebrate.  When cancer statistics and levels of heart disease in the North fall to the level of those in the South of England I will proclaim the success of the Northern Powerhouse.  When spending on Sport and Culture…etc, etc.  Until then…Northern Powerhouse?  Dream on.