George Osborne issues first direct challenge to Theresa May over Northern Powerhouse dream
Former Chancellor insists his plan to link and grow the North’s five major cities 'is here to stay'
GEORGE Osborne has warned Theresa May to keep her hands off his Northern Powerhouse dream — issuing his first direct challenge to her authority.
Writing for The Sun, the former Chancellor insists his plan to link and grow the North’s five major cities “is here to stay”.
And he opens up a major clash of industrial visions between his idea to give away power to Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle, versus the new PM’s pledge for more direct intervention from London.
It is his first major intervention since being ruthlessly sacked by Mrs May in July as her very first act in power.
While paying lip service to the Northern Powerhouse concept, the Premier has criticised it for focusing too much on “one or two of our great regional cities”.
But Mr Osborne writes in The Sun: “It is great that Theresa May has recently recommitted her government to the vision we set out.
“But if we’re going to make it happen we can’t just expect Whitehall to do it all. It has to be a team effort.
“The Northern Powerhouse has to be owned by the north, driven from the north, for the north.”
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Mr Osborne will also launch a new think tank that he will chair to help push forward his two year-old vision, dubbed the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.The 45-year-old MP for Tatton also insists there is “a real excitement in the north” about his vision, which he claims has cross-party backing from local Tory as well as Labour politicians.
Mr Osborne adds: “I don’t want us to lose that”.
“There’s nothing that says the north of England should not be as prosperous as the south, or even more so.”
Mr Osborne also sends out a strong sign today that he is far from finished in politics yet — unlike ex-PM and close pal David Cameron, who stepped down as an MP this week.
He reveals that while he is a backbencher, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership “will be a major focus of my political energy”, and he will chair it “as an MP in the north”.
Westminster watchers will see that as a bid by Mr Osborne to rebuild his smashed powerbase from the north of England – setting up a stark contrast with Mrs May, who represents the rich Home Counties constituency of Maidenhead.
In a move that risks irritating Mrs May, Mr Osborne has recruited the public support of one of his former proteges - Communities Secretary Sajid Javid.
Mr Javid added: “This government realises the huge untapped potential of our great northern towns and cities.
“That is why I warmly welcome the launch of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.
“I hope it will become an important part of the debate and help us to do all we can to further boost jobs, growth and opportunities in the north of England.”