North of England demands voice at Brexit table

At an international conference which opened in Manchester on Tuesday, Northern England demanded a voice at the Brexit negotiating table.

The message from a key session at the British Northern Powerhouse International Conference and Exhibition on Tuesday was that the Northern Powerhouse needed to have a seat at the table to help shape new trade deals following Britain's exit from the European Union (EU), according to a statement from the conference organisers.

The two-day conference is taking place to discuss how the region can influence the economic and political landscape in the near future.

Pat Ritchie, CEO of Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council, said the North East of England was the only region with a positive balance of trade based on exports, with 60 percent of that trade going to the EU. "We need to think about our international relationships differently in light of Brexit and we have to think about inward investment differently. The Northern Powerhouse is a very important brand which encompasses all of the places in the North, bringing together their economic strengths will increase our ability to trade with different parts of the world."

Earlier Lord Kerslake, the former head of the British civil service said in an opening speech that more devolution and great leadership were vital to the future economic success of the North of England.

In a keynote speech, Kerslake said that fiscal devolution was key to the North's future, adding there was a need for a major shift of power away from Westminster and Whitehall. Endit