Northern mayors are increasing pressure on the Government to give the region better deal in a range of areas.
Business and political leaders from around the region will meet in Rotherham tomorrow for the second Convention of the North.
And in advance of the meeting, Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram and his Manchester counterpart Andy Burnham have called on the Government to take urgent action in five key areas and give the North the power and resources to grow its economy.
The mayors want the end of the Northern rail franchise, London-style subsidies for bus services in the North and fully-devolved control of the Apprenticeship levy.
They also want Government funding to help people affected by clean air zones switch vehicles, more help to support people sleeping rough and a quicker commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail.
In a joint statement, the mayors say: “To get this country working again, there is an urgent need to take power out of Westminster and give it to our great cities and regions. We need to build a new, healthier politics that unifies people around place and positive change and delivers practical change for citizens.
“The crisis over Brexit makes this a make or break moment for Northern devolution. ‘Take Back Control’ may have been directed at Brussels during the referendum campaign but the reality is that many people were also sending the same message to Westminster.
“Whilst central government has been stuck in the Brexit mire, we have used devolution to deliver for our local communities on the things that matter to them.
“So today we are making a new joint call on the Government for action in five priority areas.”
Elsewhere, other leading politicians from the North have urged the Government to devolve more powers to the region.
North of Tyne mayor of North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll, said: “North of Tyne needs massive investment in public transport – our prosperity depends on it, and so does tackling the climate crisis.
“People need to travel cheaply and reliably to work and education, and yet we get a third of the spending London gets per person. We need the Northern Powerhouse promises to be fulfilled.”
