IPPR North responds to the Spring Statement

Sarah Longlands, Director of IPPR North has responded to the Spring Statement:

“In the midst of Brexit chaos, Westminster has once again left the North with little certainty about a future way forward.

“Forecasts for this year are fairly meaningless when the outcome of Brexit is still an unknown. Even if these can be relied upon, growth has been downgraded to 1.2% from 1.6% which will impact on wages, living standards and quality of life. This will have a direct impact for the North of England.

“We need the resources and the powers to be able to mitigate the risks of Brexit for people in the North, yet the Chancellor failed to mention the devolution framework or the Shared Prosperity Fund once in his statement.

“The North cannot wait for Central Government to provide certainty for Northern economies. The government must devolve power and resources to places like the North, so that we can plan for our own future and realise our own potential”.