The creation of the Northern Powerhouse is a political balancing act

Richard Threlfall, KPMG UK Head of Infrastructure and Chair of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Northern Powerhouse Steering Group comments on the ICE State of the Nation: Devolution report, published on 30 June 2016. He said:

“The creation of the Northern Powerhouse is a political balancing act. It requires the Government, one of the world’s most centrally-managed economies, to give up power to the North. And it requires the city and county authorities of the North to give up powers to a new regional tier of government. Everyone knows this, but the idea of regional government remains so anathema that it is rarely voiced. So I am delighted that the ICE has articulated that challenge so clearly in their State of the Nation: Devolution report.

“All the ingredients for a successful Northern Powerhouse are provided in the recommendations. We need Transport for the North (TfN) to be established with the power to develop, fund and implement a regional transport strategy, to deliver agreed social and economic outcomes for the region.  TfN should be given clear leadership authority and accountability – taking account of the views of its constituent local authorities, but not beholden to them. It should be able to draw up pipelines of projects, and drive investment in the skills needed to deliver them. In short it should have both the constitutional and financial independence to act in the best interests of One North and through its transport infrastructure investment programme drive the creation of a booming single economic region.”