Optimism cuts through the gloom at Convention of the North
The world may be a gloomy place, but optimism reigns in Preston at the Convention of the North
Welcome to the Convention of the North. It wouldn’t be a conference on the political interests of the entire North of England without attendees arriving late, grumbling about cancelled trains and overcrowded carriages. And, of course, there’s the irony of the whole event being held in a sports hall—Preston’s only other conference centre is out of action due to the presence of RAAC. This is the England we know and love.
Then there are the absences. Teesside Mayor Ben Houchen’s decision to be the only metro mayor to skip the event set tongues wagging. The Lead was particularly disappointed, as our Teesside Editor, Leigh Jones, would surely have had plenty of questions to put to him. Never mind - there's always next year.
As Westminster Editor at the Lead UK, the convention was a refreshing reprieve after two weeks of global events. On Thursday, Keir Starmer was in diplomatic mode, attempting to talk Donald Trump off the ledge over Ukraine. He largely passed the test—the two emerged all smiles and compliments. For now, the special relationship remains intact, even though Europe’s security hangs in the balance.
And while international affairs loom large, England’s deepening regional inequalities cast a long shadow. Between 2010 and 2020, England’s average wealth per person grew from £226,300 to £290,800, yet the North has been left further behind. The wealth gap per head between the national average and the North widened from £37,300 in 2010 to £71,000 in 2020. The North East remains the poorest region, with median wealth still lower in real terms than in 2006.
And it’s not just wealth. The ‘North-South health divide’ is stark and persistent. Life expectancy in the North is, on average, two years lower than in the South, with higher mortality rates across all groups. Premature death rates are now 20% higher for those living in the North—more than 1.5 million northerners have died well before their time.
All of this coalesces into the inevitable political threat. Much of the so-called Red Wall lies in the North, and both Labour and the Conservatives are vying for its support. But perhaps the most immediate concern is the rise of Reform UK, as immigration climbs up voter priorities and disillusionment with mainstream politicians grows. Tracey Brabin, Mayor for West Yorkshire is absolutely resolute on exposing the hypocrisy of the right-wing challenger party. “I don’t think reform have anything to say to the people of West Yorkshire,” she told The Lead.
“Fundamentally, Reform are focused on division and trying to divide communities. We are absolutely focused on bringing people together.”
She pointed to the Convention itself: “You’ll see today at the Convention of the North, leaders are coming together with a consensus of how they can work harder to deliver better outcomes. In parliament, Nigel Farage wasn’t even there to talk about better terms and conditions for working people and putting more money in people’s pockets,” she said, referring to the fact that not a single one of the five sitting Reform MPs attended the first vote on the government’s Employment Rights Bill. “I would encourage the people of West Yorkshire to look at your leadership and who is batting for you, to give you and your families a better life.”
The proposed solutions to the North’s economic and regional inequalities largely centred on growth. Kevin Hollinrake, the Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, used his speech to call for more private investment and praised small and medium enterprises across the North.
His sentiments were echoed by business leaders munching on pastries and sipping coffee in the networking break. If the attendees at the Convention was anything to go by, there is plenty of talent chomping at the bit to root their ideas in the North of England. But the government must help them. Hollinrake emphasised the importance of removing of bottlenecks in the economy to achieve real success stories, accelerating planning and reducing delays in nationally significant infrastructure projects. Luckily, the Labour government and Mayors are clearly aligned on this.
Deputy prime minister and "Secretary of State for the North" (according to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham) spoke passionately about Labour's commitment to standing up to the NIMBYS and enacting their planning reforms. Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotherham touted the prospect of the North become the centre for AI investment, while Kim McGuinness, the Mayor for the North East spoke about the green revolution coming to the “Great North”.
Infrastructure was also a major talking point - and how could it not be? The final day of the Conference co-aligned, serendipitously, with the publication of a Parliamentary report branding HS2 an example of “how not to run a project”.
Attendees who were forced on Avanti West Coast trains (this writer included) can attest to this dysfunction of railways. Speakers - throughout the conference - repeatedly stressed the need for better transport, housing, and connectivity through the North. Burnham expressed his deep disappointment at HS2’s cancellation, issuing a warning: “We must not allow the argument to move away from big infrastructure. Big promises were first made by the Labour government, then the coalition government, and repeated ever since—until they were ripped up in Manchester a couple of years ago. We cannot accept in the North of England that that’s it.” In fact, why not make transport a protected budget in itself, Burnham asked? “If people can’t access the good jobs, access training, that’s a massive problem.”
And here’s why they’re all so excited -- and genuinely believe it could all be different for the North under this Labour government: devolution. Deputy PM Rayner, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to what she called a “wholesale total rewiring of government power in England.”
She promoted the benefits of the English Devolution White Paper, which promises new mayoral powers and greater local control over planning, employment support, skills, rail, and more. “This means decisions for the North will be made by the North, so that northerners will no longer be dictated to by Whitehall, and this change will be irreversible. And that's important, because I know first hand that decisions are best made by people with skin in the game, and that's what our English devolution white paper is all about. Nothing less than a total rewiring of power in England.”
Will things really be different this time? The Metro Mayors seemed positively buoyant. Brabin enthused to me about the “incredible engagement” she’d seen on devolution from the government.” When the Labour party were elected, in days of the election victory, Keir Starmer invited Mayors down to No.10[…] And I think those greater freedoms and flexibilities that we were asking for, certainly, we’ve seen an appetite for that from this government.” Business leaders at the conference were hopeful, but some are reserving their excitement for the tangible changes. Planning reform, spades in the ground, and towns and cities across the UK finally being granted the tangible powers to take control of their own affairs. If Labour can really achieve all its promising, the North will have plenty to smile about. And who knows, maybe Houchen will show up next year.