Press Story

Commenting on the resignation of Lord Jim O'Neill, Ed Cox, Director of IPPR North, said:

"It is a great shame that Jim O’Neill is standing down from this important role as he has been an important champion within government for the Northern Powerhouse. The Prime Minister has been clear in her support for the Northern Powerhouse and IPPR North has always argued that the Northern Powerhouse is not so much a government programme as the sum total of economic activity that makes up our £300bn economy.

Ministers will come and go, but it is the businesses, innovators and investors in the North that will ultimately unlock our economic potential."

ends

Notes:

IPPR aims to influence policy in the present and reinvent progressive politics in the future, and is dedicated to the better country that Britain can be through progressive policy and politics.

IPPR North is the dedicated think-tank for the North of England. We blend IPPR’s influence on policymakers with reach beyond the Westminster bubble – now more than ever, critical for political influence.

We believe that to create a ‘better Britain’, we must focus on a better North: the North of England’s major cities, thriving towns, quality of life offer, ports, universities and £300bn economy, and crucially, human capital, make it ideally placed to deliver inclusive prosperity that benefits everyone in the UK.

To achieve this, we need a joined-up plan and industrial strategy led by the North, for the North – that extends from core cities to offshore wind farms; from early years investment to lifelong learning, and from global investors to thriving small businesses and local public services