George Osborne Says School Improvement Is Crucial For Tackling North-South Divide

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) has launched its first report and called on ministers to take action to close England’s education gap and stem the ‘brain drain’ of graduates away from the North.

The NPP, which was launched last year by the former Chancellor George Osborne, has taken evidence from more than 200 business and civic leaders ahead of the report being published today.

It says urgent attention should be given to a range of issues, including the North’s schools, the quality of adult skills, high-speed internet provision and the east-west transport infrastructure. 

George Osborne said: “We can either make use of the momentum behind the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ to really close the north-south gap, or we can let the moment pass and leave our country divided, and the north left behind.

“Get it right and the northern economy will be £100bn bigger, with more jobs and higher living standards for all.

“Many issues have been raised with us, from transport connections to devolution, but one challenge stood out: education. Our education system, right the way from the start of school to higher education, must provide the next generation with the skills, inspiration and training to fulfil their goals and build our economy.

“There is now overwhelming evidence that attainment at 16 is too low in the North, leaving us lagging behind UK and international competitors. We also let go of far too many talented graduates."

He added: “I will be asking a group of leading employers and education leaders to work together with the partnership, to draw on the latest evidence and thinking to examine a number of key issues to put this right.”

The focus on education in the NPP’s report mirrors one of the key findings in the CBI’s ‘Unlocking Regional Growth’ campaign which was launched last year and supported by Irwin Mitchell. The CBI identified education attainment at the age of 16 as one of the four drivers of helping to improve productivity across the entire UK. The other three were transport, business management and exports.

Irwin Mitchell’s own UK Powerhouse report raised concerns about the number of graduates that migrate to London and also called for greater involvement by business in education policy.

Expert Opinion

“We welcome this latest study and agree with its broad approach to tackling the economic imbalance that exists in the UK. The issue of skills and education is central to the debate and it’s clear that we must be doing more to ensure young people have the skills they need and we as a county require.

“There appears to be a great deal of common ground between decision makers on what needs to happen in order to make the Northern Powerhouse a success. Our own study however highlights that the plans to tackle the North South divide have had very little impact so far. What is now required is some proper investment and closer collaboration between businesses and authorities to make it happen.”
Roy Beckett - Partner