Called the northern transport summit, in fact its ambitions were much wider: to coordinate and amplify a regional identity. As Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester’s mayor, said earlier this week, unless the north finds its political voice, “we will be waiting for ever for a powerhouse”. Instead, by 2022 there will be little – not even substantial inroads into the debt – to show for Tory economic policy. Most importantly, it is about the political possibilities of forging a northern political identity that, as old loyalties dissolve and different alignments emerge, could become politically decisive. Earlier this week, George Osborne – the godfather both of austerity and the northern powerhouse – challenged Mrs May to prove her commitment to building an economy that works for the whole country by backing his project.

Source: The Guardian August 23, 2017 18:00 UTC