Leeds City Council Leader comment on Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review

The Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake has welcomed a report released today highlighting the potential for 850,000 new jobs to be created in the North of England by 2050.

The ‘Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review’ commissioned by Transport for the North highlights the potential for productivity in the northern economy to rise by 15 per cent by 2050 if significant investment, collaboration and support can be delivered with the aim of strengthening and rebalancing the national economy.

The report identifies digital technologies, health innovation, energy and advanced manufacturing as the key potential drivers to creating the new jobs which will help add £97billion to the economy.

Responding to the report, Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake said:

“We very much welcome this report, which again highlights the enormous economic potential of Leeds, the Leeds City Region and the North of England as a whole. That potential is ready to be realised given the right investment and support maximising all our strengths and resources to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and having a transformative effect on people’s lives.

“The timing of this report is important as it reinforces the need for discussions around the economic and political future of our country following the EU referendum result to be reflective of the needs of the whole country and not focused just on Westminster, Whitehall, London and the south east. The North has an immense role to play in not only rebalancing but greatly strengthening the UK economy in the years to come, so again we would say in the strongest possible terms let’s work together to make that happen for the benefit of everyone.”

To see Transport for the North’s Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review go to http://www.transportforthenorth.com/

ENDS

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