Northern Powerhouse success a top priority, says PM
Ahead of a visit to the region today, Prime Minister Theresa May has said that the Northern Powerhouse is “critical” to the government’s plans for economic growth to be experienced nationwide.
May’s tour of the North West will see her meet Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, visit a Liverpool hospital and attend the unveiling of a tribute to PC David Phillips by the Police Memorial Trust.
The Prime Minister, who is due to discuss issues including the integration of health and social care, regional investment and housing with Burnham, said: “The Northern Powerhouse is at the core of our work to spread growth across the entire country.
“Over the past few weeks we have demonstrated how important this agenda is with announcements such as the £400m boost for Northern transport, ensuring we maximise the economic opportunity from HS2 and invest in transport improvements across the whole of the North.
“Over the coming months I will be meeting leaders from across the Northern Powerhouse, starting today in Manchester, to talk about how we can progress this vital agenda.”
An announcement on the progress of the Greater Manchester Housing Deal is expected, an agreement that is on course to be fully agreed early in 2018. The government said this could include new funding for council housing and unlock the housing potential of local transport infrastructure.
May is also expected to announce a £3.8m Greater Manchester Homelessness Prevention Trailblazer fund, following Burnham’s announcement last week on a locally-raised £1.8m bond to tackle homelessness.
The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority will work closely together on this ambitious project, creating common systems, approaches and standards across the area in the coming months.
May said: “This is an important fund which builds on the government’s commitment to tackling homelessness. While our £50m Homelessness Prevention Programme is central to our work in this area, this specific fund will increase a more joined-up approach to tackling the issue across Greater Manchester and we will work closely together to deliver it.”
So Theresa May is meeting GM Mayor Andy Burnham but not Liverpool’s mayor even though she’s going to the city? muahahah, looking forward to Andy feeding Theresa May more Manc propaganda whilst Liverpool gets nothing… again
By SpitefulManc
Should it now be a case of what’s good enough for Catalonia is good enough for Liverpool. Viva la revolution…
By Eat more pies
They do speak a different language there.
By Welshie
I wish Andy was our Mayor!
By Bob Dawson
Two days from now she will announce Crossrail 2. They always visit the colonies,just before they announce a huge scheme in the South East. Blair did it before he announced Crossrail 1 and then he cancelled the Big Bang on Metrolink.It is called a sweetener.
By Elephant
May looks human in your chosen photo rather than sick….Should be meeting BOTH men…
By Schwyz
Good point Elephant. The Evening Standard is reporting May also met with Sadiq Khan to discuss housing… and Crossrail2 was on the agenda too.
By May watch
May Watch.I have been seeing this treatment of the North all my life.I wrote once to Blair’s transport secretary and got a patronising letter back saying they were improving rail services to Euston.That is a lot of use if you are trying to get from Bury to Bolton.May is no different.None of them are.Let’s face it,a cabinet full of Labour people who get a nosebleed if they go beyond Edgware are going to be useless too.I can just see Diane Abbott worrying about the needs of people in Burnley,if she knows where it is.The shadow home secretary didn’t know that Bradford and Barnsley are served by different police forces.The Catalans have the right idea.If Manchester and Liverpool can sort out their squabbles the North West is more than capable of self government along the lines of Scotland.
By Elephant