What we do
Launch of Independent Report into High-Speed 2
17 October 2019
The Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s Independent report into High-Speed 2 (HS2) was launched in Parliament at the Northern Powerhouse APPG meeting by Co- Chairs Kevin Hollinrake MP and John Stevenson MP. Along with cross-party support from Rachael Maskell MP, Angela Smith MP and John Grogan MP.
Kevin Hollinrake and John Stevenson made the case to MPs as to why the North must take control of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) and made powerful interventions on why government must deliver HS2 in full to secure the future economic prosperity of the North.
The report is the outcome of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s review into HS2 which was overseen by a panel of respected leaders and experts including Kevin Hollinrake MP, Chris Oglesby, Chief Executive Bruntwood, Councillor Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, Paula Dillon, a respected Yorkshire businesswoman and former Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, Howard Bernstein.
The report written with politicians, businesses people and experts has scrutinised the case for HS2 along with Northern Powerhouse Rail and examined how they could transform the Northern Powerhouse by generating economic growth and furthering skilled job opportunities for people across the North.
The Northern Powerhouse Independent Review:
- Recommends the establishment of HS2 North – a special purpose vehicle working with the private sector to integrate HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR)
- Articulates a 20% increase in the transformational economic impact to the North of delivering NPR along with building HS2, with £1 in every £5 generated from building a new East – West line as a result of long-distance journeys onto HS2
- Warns that only by investing in a new, integrated high-speed network can the historic North-South divide be tackled; upgrades or scrapping HS2 have none of the prerequisites to tackle the UKs geographic imbalance
- Identifies parts of the new and upgraded line network that can be delivered now including connecting Northern cities to each other – the North will not accept waiting until 2040 for HS2 to connect Northern cities to Birmingham, London, Newcastle and Edinburgh
The Review is calling for the establishment of HS2 North; a special purpose vehicle (SPV) on the model of the Olympic Delivery Authority. This would make it arms-length from government, with private sector delivery partners and Network Rail, overseen by Transport for the North to ensure HS2, NPR and related upgrades are combined efficiently and with maximum value.
While significant benefits to the Northern economy are identified in this review, it is clear that further detailed work needs to be undertaken. Therefore, the panel are urging government not to make any decisions to scrap all or part of the project until that further economic analysis is complete.
In addition, the true scale of benefits to parts of the North are revealed:
- The potential aggregate GVA prize for the North equates to £1,000bn between 2035 and 2050. If transport investment unlocks just 10% of this prize it would enable £100bn;
- In Leeds, by 2050 HS2 will create 50,000 new direct jobs adding £54bn GVA to the regional economy;
- In Greater Manchester, by 2050 HS2 will create 60,000 new jobs around Piccadilly and Manchester Airport with an additional 37,000 jobs around Crewe station;
- In Liverpool, by 2050 HS2 direct services via NPR will create an additional 24,000 new jobs.
The report will be sent to the Transport Secretary, Prime Minister and Chancellor with the aim of informing the Government’s decisions on the next steps of the HS2 project.
Letter to the Editor of The Sunday Times: Get our trains back on track
11 June 2018
Henri Murison, Director of the Northern Powerhouse, wrote to The Sunday Times regarding the ‘unacceptable’ delays and cancellations of Northern Rail services in the North of England. 71 Northern business leaders and council chiefs signed the letter. Other than Mr Murison, signatories of this letter included James Mitchinson, editor of the Yorkshire Post; Gary Neville, footballer; Chris Oglesby, CEO of Bruntwood; Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of Leeds City Region LEP; Sandy Lindsay, CEO of Tangerine Communications; and Henry Brookes, managing director of Tatton Estates. See the letter and full list of signatories on The Times website here.
Over the past two weeks in the north of England we have seen an unacceptable level of cancelled and delayed trains. Travellers have missed vital appointments and been given written warnings at work; businesses have struggled to cope; and public services have been put under strain. The anger is mounting.
The failure of Northern Rail to be ready for the new timetables, the delays to the completion of engineering works by Network Rail and the lack of government action have led to this debacle. We now call on the government to address it by granting Transport for the North (TfN) full powers to manage all northern infrastructure.
Only by TfN being accountable for the performance of Network Rail and the train companies can the north truly take control of its own destiny. Without greater authority TfN will not be able to supervise delivery of the north’s first strategic transport plan and avoid repeats of the current fiasco.
In addition, the government needs to work with Northern Rail to establish a comprehensive, straightforward passenger compensation scheme. This must happen now.
Even when things return to normal, the railways across the Northern Powerhouse region are not good enough to attract investment and increase productivity at the pace required to ensure we become an equal partner in the UK economy. By the time of this autumn’s budget, we want the government to commit itself to implementing the TfN’s Northern Powerhouse Rail strategic outline business case in full, guaranteeing that northern businesses will secure growth and our children can use a fit-for-purpose modern rail network.
Statement from the Northern Powerhouse All Party Parliamentary Group on Northern trains chaos
6 June 2018
“The chaos on Northern trains for the last two weeks has been unacceptable. We urge the Secretary of State to never allow this to happen again by authorising Transport for the North to have executive powers to hold Network Rail and rail franchises to account.”
Background
- For two years, Northern Rail has been preparing to deliver the ambitious plans for improved services they promised to the travelling public. Network Rail in January this year told them that a completely different set of changes would be ready in time for the proposed timetable changes, at that time four and a half months away. Northern Rail have let the travelling public down, but Network Rail in delivering schemes as directed by Department for Transport have also let the North, and as a result, the country down. The Transport for the North board were not involved in the process of holding Network Rail to account, and from what we can tell, no one held them to account for the mismanagement that took place.
- The executive power to hold Network Rail to account needs to be shared between the Secretary of State and the Transport for the North board – or eventually fully transferred to TfN. This crisis cannot be allowed to happen again.
- The detailed arrangements for making this change will be covered by a review being set up by Transport Minister, Jo Johnson, and Cllr Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council and also an Associate Vice Chair of the Northern Powerhouse APPG as well as TfN Board Member.
- Finally, it is the case that Northern Rail are in breach of their franchise, a matter which the Secretary of State must now also address.
Empowering the North: Putting rural areas at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse
17 March 2018
John Stevenson MP, Co-Chair of the Northern Powerhouse APPG
During the last Government, The Northern Powerhouse concept was one of those ideas that really seemed to capture the imagination. It seemed to encapsulate a new energy and optimism about the north.
The concept is very much still on the agenda, and recently we have seen three major launches bringing renewed energy to the project; the setting up on the APPG for the Northern Powerhouse, the recent report from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership on education and skills in the north, and the initial transport plan proposals from Transport for the North.
Rebalancing the economy is bigger than party politics
23 February 2018
Caroline Flint MP, Co-Chair of the Northern Powerhouse APPG
The starting point for any debate on the Northern Powerhouse is: what is it? Is it an idea? Was it just George Osborne’s attempt to show the Tories cared about the North? Is it a chance to rebrand the North’s major cities? Is it about bringing the North’s leading politicians and industrialists together to help rebalance the United Kingdom’s economy?
Northern MPs and leaders must work for more devo
28 November 2017
Caroline Flint MP, Co-Chair of the Northern Powerhouse APPG
The launch of the Northern Powerhouse All Party Parliamentary Group (NP APPG) comes at a crucial time for the North of England.
Following renaissance of our northern cities, we have moved into an era of growing devolution, with Metro Mayors providing the civic leadership.
On transport, education and skills and devolution, new partnerships across politics and business are working together to raise productivity, creating jobs, growth and inward investment.
The Steer Economic Development Report
The Steer Economic Development Report reviews the economic benefit of High-Speed 2 (HS2) in the context of the Government’s aim of rebalancing the national economy and the North’s ambition to achieve its growth potential. Read the review here
Previous Meetings of the Northern Powerhouse APPG
Northern Powerhouse APPG AGM |29th January 2019| Minutes
Investing in the North: Securing long-term finance for the Northern Powerhouse | 5th June 2018 | Minutes
Campaign for Northern Powerhouse Rail | 27th February 2018 | Minutes
Launch of the Northern Powerhouse APPG and AGM | 27th November 2017 | Gallery