#COTN25

Last week I attended the Convention of the North to speak on our ambitious devolution plans to transfer power out of Westminster and kickstart growth. #COTN25

Photo of Angela Rayner giving her keynote speech at the Convention of the North.

"Never stay in your lane. Don’t be quiet. Push down the barriers.”..Angela Rayner

Great speech yesterday by the Deputy Prime Minister at the #conventionofthenorth #COTN25

Dailymotion

When asked whether his boss had really removed the element of choice from the county, devolution minister Jim McMahon questioned why Lancashire wouldn't want the figurehead - and all the benefits that he said would follow. #COTN25 dai.ly/x9fe23i

“Let’s go large”

At today’s Convention of the North, N8 Chair Charlie Jeffery @york.ac.uk made the case for an AI ‘Gamechanger’ proposition. This would bring together business, universities and the public sector to deliver on the potential of AI for both the North and the entire UK. #COTN25

I spoke to the minister in the break and asked whether Lancashire was no longer being given a choice over having an elected mayor. Write-up and video to follow. #COTN25

“There can be no wealth for all until we have health for all” argues the @thenhsa.bsky.social’s Prof Louise Kenny, calling for an Institute for Preventative Health Research, based in the North 💪 #COTN25

Our Chair Professor Louise Kenny of is addressing Mo Isap, @mayorofwy.bsky.social & @jimmcmahon.co.uk and delegates at the #COTN25 this afternoon, discussing our proposal for the Institute of Preventative Health as one of the Convention’s 5 gamchangers www.thenhsa.co.uk/2025/02/prop...

Answering a question on transport, devolution minister Jim McMahon caveats the Deputy PM's earlier assertion that the whole of the North will have mayors by May 2026 with an "all being well, touch wood". #COTN25

Every £1 invested in transport in the North, generates £4.50 in social and economic benefits, says TfN’s Martin Tugwell 🚞 #COTN25

With one of the Convention of the North's "game changers" being for the region to become a clean energy leader, the gathering hears that £100m was spent just last week paying for windfarms to be turned off, because of the capacity to transfer power to where it's needed. #COTN25

Earlier the DPM criticised the previous government’s “dragon’s den style of governance”. Now that lunch is over, we’re onto *checks notes* a dragon’s den style panel (we jest, this is quite an interesting session) 😉 #COTN25

Delighted to hear at #COTN25 on behalf of the @thenhsa.bsky.social - this afternoon we are launching our game changing Institute for Preventive Health Research #strongertogether

Angela Rayner tells the Convention of the North: "By May 2026, the whole of the North will have mayors." That sounds like even any pretence of choice has just been taken away from Lancashire. #cotn25

She says she will end the era of pitting places against each other fir funding and empower people "to change their communities". #cotn25

Angela Rayner says levelling up was a "burned out shell" when she entered government. #COTN25

DPM says funding for northern local government is increasing by 8% this year #COTN25

Promising a "complete re-wiring of the state", Angela Rayner says there will be a rethink of what it means for a project to be deemed " value for money". #COTN25

Angela Rayner tells her audience in mayor-less Lancashire not to underestimate the power of having cabinet ministers "at the end of the phone". #COTN25

We have a stand in the exhibition hall for the rest of the day so come and see us for a chat if you're here #COTN25

Deputy PM Angela Rayner tells the Convention of the North she is here to "break" a system that hoards power. #COTN25

Today, we announced proposals for an institute to tackle ill health in the North at #COTN25. Northern leaders joined us for a workshop - chaired by Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard - to discuss plans. More on the Institute for Preventative Health Research 👇🏼
www.thenhsa.co.uk/2025/02/prop...

First reference at the Convention to the historically thorny issue of a Lancashire mayor - asked whether the North needed its own Secretary of State, Blackpool leader Lynn Williams laughed: "This is Lancashire, we haven't even got to a mayor." #COTN25

Prompting Blackpool leader Lynn Williams to champion her town's council-owned bus services. #COTN25

If fast trains go up the country, through a £100m bat tunnel, and then slow down when they reach the North West, that will be a monument to inequality in our country, says Mayor Andy Burnham 🦇 #COTN25

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham gets the first spontaneous applause of the day by declaring a collective desire to "re-regulate the buses right across the North", something which has recently been a topic of discussion in Preston. #COTN25

“Nothing is fixed until that is fixed” Mayor Andy Burnham says of half of the North’s railway stations not being accessible to people with disabilities 🚂 #COTN25

Northern Mayors talking about infrastructure, innovation and skills…

…then Mayor Oliver Coppard reveals he was excluded from school 🎓 #COTN25

When asked about whether there should be a northern parliament, the shadow SoS says “let’s not reshuffle the deckchairs on the titanic” 🚢 #COTN25

He also says the Conservatives should have been clearer that levelling up would take "decades". #COTN25

‘The north is simply bursting with potential’ #COTN25