What the North Needs to Better Connect its People and Places Joint Parliamentary Forum

The Pan-Northern Westminster Group is a forum created to bring together Parliamentarians, Metro Mayors, local and regional transport leaders from across the North on the big issues. It will provide for a dedicated forum for the members of the Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire and other pan Northern APPGs and bodies to unite in common purpose and hear first hand about the North’s ambitions for future growth. This inaugural session will look at how to unlock the North’s productivity and prosperity through better transport and greater connectivity.

The North’s great cities, towns and communities need to be connected by fast, reliable, affordable, accessible, greener transport and travel options which connect people and places to opportunities - education, jobs, skills, leisure, health, care and public services.

Investing in big infrastructure projects - such as Northern Powerhouse Rail - or having the equivalent of an Elizabeth Line for the North would be transformative not just for the North but for the UK economy. A new Liverpool-Manchester Railway could supercharge economic growth and set a new model for delivering the major infrastructure needed to go further, faster and greener and could deliver a £15 billion economic boost and 22,000 jobs during construction alone. I am therefore delighted that Huw Merriman, former Rail Minister and Chair of the Liverpool Manchester Rail Board (LMRB) has agreed to speak and to talk about the wider economic benefits of better connectivity in the North.

By working collaboratively, the North’s MPs and Peers and Mayors can build stronger, cross-party political consensus on how to go further and faster to unlock growth and deliver the maximum economic impact for its people and places.