The Great North: Northern mayors unveil investment partnership
Mayors in the north of England have unveiled a new partnership which they claim will drive investment opportunities across the region.The Great North, chaired by North East mayor Kim McGuinness, will represent a combined population of more than 15 million people in the area spanning the Pennines, from Yorkshire and Lancashire, up to the Scottish border.By bringing the region under one banner, they said they hope to attain investment in sectors including clean energy, defence, advanced manufacturing and the creative industries.Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said the leaders would set aside political differences to "bang the drum for the north" and attract "global investment".
The partnership follows the Labour government's plans to devolve powers out of Whitehall.It will utilise the Great North Run brand, founded by Sir Brendan Foster.
A launch event will be held in Leeds, where the body will announce £118bn of investment opportunities, including:A clean energy proposition down the east coastThe Northern Arc and White Rose Plan, which are rail improvements on the Transpennine Route and the Liverpool to Manchester RailwayA northern security corridor from Cumbria and the North East to LancashireAdvanced materials and manufacturing corridors bringing together Yorkshire and Greater Manchester with links into neighbouring economies, or between the North East and Tees ValleyThe One Creative North partnership to boost the North of England's creative industries
The six leaders joining McGuinness and Houchen are Tracy Brabin of West Yorkshire, Andy Burnham of Greater Manchester, Steve Rotheram of the Liverpool City Region, York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith, South Yorkshire's Oliver Coppard and Luke Campbell of Hull and East Yorkshire.Cumbria and Cheshire & Warrington are in a devolution priority programme which envisages mayoral election in 2026.Meanwhile, following the establishment of a Combined Authority in Lancashire, discussions are underway on establishing a mayor there too.
Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Finextra
an hour ago
- Finextra
Raisin debuts retail deposit product
Raisin, Europe's leading fintech platform for savings and investment products, has launched a new Welcome Account in Spain, marking a strategic milestone in its ongoing expansion across European markets. 0 For the first time, Raisin is offering a savings product directly under its own name to consumers in the region. The Welcome Account is designed to give new customers a strong and simple entry point into savings. As an overnight deposit product with a promotional rate for the first three months, it offers savers in Spain one of the highest interest rates currently available on the platform. The account is fully flexible, fee-free, and easy to open online, aligning with Raisin's mission to offer transparent, customer-first financial products without barriers. New customers can deposit between €1 and €60,000 and enjoy a market-competitive rate for three months. Following the promotional period, funds are automatically transferred into a rollover product selected in advance by the user via Raisin's Smart Switch feature, or they can be withdrawn without penalty. Customers receive the interest rate available at the moment of transfer, with this detail clearly disclosed during account setup. As a result, users continue to benefit from competitive ongoing returns with minimal friction. The launch represents a broader strategic step for Raisin, as it continues to expand its ability to shape and offer products directly through its platform, further strengthening its leadership in digital savings innovation. The Welcome Account has been designed to counter the complexity and opacity that often accompany traditional teaser products, which frequently include restrictive conditions or unclear rate changes. Raisin's offer focuses on transparency, customer control, and long-term value. 'With the new Welcome Account, we are appealing to everyday savers who are looking for a strong interest rate that is not tied to the obligation to open other products,' says Dr. Tamaz Georgadze, CEO of Raisin. 'It's a product that reflects everything we stand for: fair access to better financial solutions with zero hidden fees. Our goal is to empower people across Europe to take control of their financial future with confidence.' Raisin continues to scale across key European markets, including Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and Ireland, while supporting more than one million customers and managing over €75 billion in assets.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Wise latest to unveil plans to switch main listing from London to New York
British fintech firm Wise has revealed plans to switch its primary listing from London to New York in yet another setback for the City. The money transfer firm said the move would 'help us accelerate our mission and bring substantial strategic and capital market benefits to Wise and our owners'. It wants to drive greater awareness of the brand in the US, which it said was the 'biggest market opportunity in the world for our products'. A primary listing on Wall Street would also give it 'better access to the world's deepest and most liquid capital market', it added. It said the change would benefit the group by 'expanding the pool of investors able to invest in Wise, in particular US domestic institutional and retail investors, the largest global constituent of investors, many of whom are currently unable to hold our shares'. Under the plans, the firm would be dual listed, with a secondary listing in London as part of its 'ongoing commitment to the UK'. Kristo Kaarmann, co-founder and chief executive of Wise, said: 'The UK is home to some of the best talent in the world in financial services and technology, and we will continue to invest in our presence here to fuel our UK and global growth.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Medicines watchdog to open 'digital hub' in Leeds city centre
The UK's drug safety watchdog is to open a new "digital hub" in West Yorkshire. The site, to be located in Leeds city centre, would focus on digital delivery, software development and data science, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).The MHRA regulates new medicines, healthcare products and healthcare technologies for patients to Tallon, MHRA chief executive, said opening the new site in the city was aimed at "strengthening our ability to collaborate with partners across the north of England". There had been a "huge growth" in healthcare technologies driven by changes in software and AI which were going to revolutionise the way the NHS worked, and the new Leeds hub would help regulate those technologies, Mr Tallon was chosen for the new hub as it was home to over 44,000 tech professionals and about 11,000 students studying tech-related subjects, according to the hub, in Wellington Place, would also serve as a base for the digital operations of NHS England, with increasing investment from major tech companies, an MHRA spokesperson 30 permanent, highly-skilled roles would initially be recruited to work at the new centre in the city, they added. 'City leading way' Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care, said: "There is a global tech revolution in healthcare unfolding, and Yorkshire will help our country lead it. "This isn't just about creating new jobs across the region, it's also about bolstering a city that's already leading the way in digital health."Mr Tallon said that by establishing an MHRA digital hub in Leeds, "we're strengthening our ability to collaborate with partners across the north of England – bringing regulatory expertise closer to the people, organisations and innovations we serve".Meanwhile, he said Leeds was "buzzing, thriving, an exciting place"."We are really excited about create new jobs within our organisation right in the heart of Leeds," Mr Tallon Venner, Leeds City Council's executive member for equality, health and wellbeing, said the MHRA's announcement of the plan for a digital hub was "welcome"."Leeds is already a centre for digital health and innovation and this rapidly growing market contributes significantly to the economy," she said."The hub will support the creation of jobs and provide career opportunities for local graduates and professionals." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
