The North of England needs its own Boris Johnson

Could the north of England do with its own Boris Johnson? In a new report out today, the IPPR think tank argues that a ‘northern voice’ is needed to lobby the government on the region’s priorities. The Mayor of London has shown himself proficient at making the case for London’s transport and budgeting needs. Although the IPPR may be right, that there’s plenty of work needed to rebalance the economy, better national representation for the North isn’t a new problem. In fact, the North has previously said no to several possible solutions.

A decade ago, John Prescott’s plan for regional assemblies was overwhelmingly rejected by a northern referendum. Instead of an opportunity to devolve power and unite smaller areas together, the plan was disregarded as another level of gravy train bureaucracy. Just look at the BBC’s compilation of comments on regional assemblies to see why 78 per cent said no.