Why Wales needs to take the north of England seriously

Suddenly the north of England is in the news, and not because of football, riots or unemployment. This time it is the ambitious plans that the area’s civic leaders have for the area.  

The idea is to create a ‘northern global powerhouse’, based on linking together Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield. Together, these cities have sufficient population and economic output to rival the south east of England. The plans include a new, high speed rail link between cities – the so-called HS3.

That there is the potential for a new economic driver outside London and south-east is in itself important to Wales. Will more people commute from Wrexham and Flintshire? Will more consumer spending be sucked out of Wales and into the northern cities? All these and more need to be assessed and appropriate responses developed.

But the significance is greater than the potential for development.  There are political changes afoot as well.

The ambitions for the north are not just those of home-grown civic leaders – they are now those of George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer. His speech on 23rd June 2014 was a landmark, not only for what it said but the fact that he said it.  Although his constituency is, of course, in the Liverpool – Manchester hinterland, the north has not previously featured in many (if any) of the Chancellor’s pronouncements to date.

His interest signals not only revived economic interest in ‘rebalancing’ the UK from London and the south-east but also a new interest in the north politically.  There is of course an election around the corner, where it might be that votes from the north make a critical difference, but a demonstrated interest in developments up the M1/M6 is no doubt handy in respect of the Scottish referendum too. 

Whether or not the recognition that there is something more than a wasteland north of the M25 is expediency or not, if it lasts where does it leave Wales?   Quite possibly even more marginalised than at present.

Scotland has its claims to independence, or at the very least even greater devolution; the north has its ambitions to be an ‘economic powerhouse’ and a global one at that; while in Wales we have … well, what exactly? 

Anyone who has any contact with Westminster will tell you that it’s already difficult to get any attention paid to Wales.  With a mere 5% of the UK population, no real threats to the UK’s stability and reputation for poverty and poor public services (whether or not it is justified), Wales risks slipping off the UK agenda altogether.  

Watch this space.

Victoria Winckler is director of the Bevan Foundation.