Lawyers Call On Government To Re-Think Its Wealth-Spreading Agenda

A survey by the BBC has found that the majority of people from the North of England haven’t heard of, or know very little about, the Government’s flagship ‘Northern Powerhouse’ initiative.

Launched almost 18 months ago by the Chancellor George Osborne, the Northern Powerhouse aims to encourage economic prosperity across the North of England and bridge the prosperity gap between the South East and the rest of the UK.

Ideas included in the Northern Powerhouse plan include connecting cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Hull by electrifying the railways. Announcements have also included greater devolution of city powers and the appointment of elected mayors. 

According to the BBC poll, 64% of adults have never heard of the Northern Powerhouse, or know nothing about it.  Despite the low awareness, half said that they were confident that it will boost the economy of the North.

Earlier this year, Irwin Mitchell conducted a study with leading economic think-tank, the Cebr, into whether the Government’s plans for rebalancing the UK economy will work.

The study, which was called ‘UK Powerhouse’ found that if the current policies were maintained, the gap between the South East and the Northern Powerhouse will get wider by 2025. The report called for a radical rethink within the Government and made a series of recommendations. The report can be downloaded here.