Great write up following our conversation with @theguardian.com on the overnight levy. Business Improvement Districts across the country have already brought levies forward in many places - this now adds accountability and consistency, in the places mayors want the powers.

@henrimurison.bsky.social · last wk.

Read @joshhalliday.bsky.social #tourismlevy, one of northern correspondents today who have been explaining why policy needed @zoebillingham.bsky.social @ipprnorth.bsky.social & my colleagues @np-partnership.bsky.social worked with Mayors to win argument for it www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Our director Zoë Billingham on BBC North West explaining No10 North splitting the Treasury's spending and growth functions could be the change this country needs. "It's their time to shine." - ✨ @zoebillingham.bsky.social

When I was a Treasury official I saw the grip of austerity in the department from 2010 & false hope that cuts have no consequence. To regionally reboot our economy it’s quite right that the PM wants to focus on growth & opportunity from No10 North. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Power shift puts growth in hands of No 10 North

Andy Burnham says ‘huge transfer of power’ from Whitehall was no criticism of John Healey’s department but would be good for the economy

thetimes.com

Brilliant from our @maeveschaffer.bsky.social on the language of devolution. More to come from @ipprnorth.bsky.social on this.

PoliticsHome@politicshome.bsky.social · last mo.

The way devolution policy has been communicated in recent years has been jumbled, inaccessible, and hasn’t connected with the broader public Devolution needs buy-in, and that requires making it mean something to people's everyday lives, writes @ipprnorth.bsky.social's @maeveschaffer.bsky.social

Positive news today on PM’s push to reduce numbers of gambling & vape shops on high streets. So often cited as symbols of decline. It’ll also be important that the public know what decisions are being made about their places & how to influence them. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Councils to get more powers to stop vape and betting shops, PM announces

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said town centres had been "hollowed out" by decades of decline.

bbc.co.uk

Good to speak to @mirror.co.uk about government’s rumoured plans to review railcards. It’s great that the Network Railcard exists; it’s odd that it only covers the South East. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic... @ipprnorth.bsky.social

Today’s Cabinet Statement commits to the fundamental rewiring of power in our country. It’s without doubt the most decisive shift in economic control we’ve seen in decades. What’s more, the public will now be part of decisions that change lives. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a6c7a...

👥NEW REPORT: Local government reorganisation is once-in-a-generation opportunity - if done well. Government and local authorities should take action to use the process to revive democracy in local communities and shift power downwards👇 Read the full report here: www.ippr.org/articles/mak...

Making the most of it: Unitarisation, hyperlocal democratic renewal and community empowerment | IPPR

This report looks at the democratic implications of the government’s agenda for local government unitarisation under the English devolution and community e

ippr.org

Great to write in @labourlist.bsky.social today about our latest @ipprnorth.bsky.social report and how local government reorganisation must result in local democracy renewal. labourlist.org/2026/02/unit...

'Unitarisation risks weakening local democracy unless communities are put in the driving seat' - LabourList

Nearly 30% of England faces local government overhaul. Without safeguards, unitarisation could cut councillors, weaken accountability and distance communities from power.

labourlist.org

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Institute for Public Policy Research@ippr.org · 7mo ago

🚎 Mass transit drives thriving high streets and local growth – but mayors and cities currently take the risk and don't always reap the rewards. Letting them keep and invest in that growth could unlock UK cities 📻️ @aditisriram.bsky.social on @LBCNews 🔗 www.ippr.org/articles/transport-and-growth

I think it's right that the May local elections will be going ahead, even in areas undergoing local government reorganisation. Democracy cannot be a matter of convenience or cost. mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk/2026/02/16/u...

Update on May 2026 local authority elections

We have today issued the below statement for immediate use on the local authority elections taking place in May 2026. An MHCLG spokesperson said: “Following legal advice, the Government has withdrawn ...

mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk

🏘️"Neighbourhood precincts are often people’s go to spaces... it’s right they are taken as seriously as high streets. We need physical spaces to come together, to regain a lost sense of community." @zoebillingham.bsky.social spoke to The Guardian👇👇 www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

England’s poorest areas have 70% more vape shops and bookmakers than wealthier ones

Data shows deprived communities have more off-licences and takeaways and fewer childcare facilities and gyms

theguardian.com

Thanks also to @joshhalliday.bsky.social for covering the work, and lovely to see comments in here from @zoebillingham.bsky.social and @drjennings.bsky.social too! www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

England’s poorest areas have 70% more vape shops and bookmakers than wealthier ones

Data shows deprived communities have more off-licences and takeaways and fewer childcare facilities and gyms

theguardian.com

🥇 NORTH OF ENGLAND 2040 🥇 Hosting the Olympics in the North would be a GAME CHANGER for the region. Bringing a boost to investment, job opportunities, and the visitor economy; people would feel its impact in the years to come and the decades following. thegreatnorth.org.uk/news/the-gre...

The Great North mayors and leaders call on Government to base future UK Olympic bid in the North

The North of England could play host to the Olympic and Paralympic Games for the first time in history, as Northern Mayors and Leaders today set out a clear ...

thegreatnorth.org.uk

📗We welcome the Chancellor's efforts in shifting Treasury orthodoxy so that projects in the North can get fair shots. Yet, this is the 3rd change to the Green Book in as many years, the fact it's taking so long shows the depth of this culture in Westminster. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politic...

Rachel Reeves changes to Treasury rules to boost infrastructure projects in the North

Rachel Reeves has announced major changes to Treasury rules around infrastructure project spending, which the Government says will address “historic underinvestment” in the North and other parts of th...

yorkshirepost.co.uk

“Make the North even greater”cc @thenorthernagenda.bsky.social

IPPR North@ipprnorth.bsky.social · 8mo ago

💪 A strong North stands together. 📰In our paper released today, IPPR North says The Great North partnership and government should act collaboratively to establish the north as a great place to invest and ultimately help raise living standards. 👇👇 www.ippr.org/articles/rol...

Great to see @martinsandbu.ft.com rejecting fatalism on regional inequality & focusing on what can be done… www.ft.com/content/91de...

The left-behind economy and what to do about it

New insights into regional inequality

ft.com

📊ONS employment figures for the North East released today paint a stark image of the region - but they don't tell the whole story. @indiafhg.bsky.social, Newcastle-based researcher at IPPR North explains why👇👇

Clear thinking from @xiaoweixu.bsky.social as usual on the UK youth mobility story - more in IFS publication below. Great to hear @amcanning.bsky.social experience of the Bradford Opportunity Area. Bringing health & education together meant glasses for kids so they can learn to read.

Xiaowei Xu@xiaoweixu.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Excited about discussing regional inequalities at the Fiscal Studies symposium event next week! We've got a star-studded lineup of @andyburnham.bsky.social, Paul Collier, Philip McCann, @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social, @amcanning.bsky.social and more. Summary of new papers below 🧵👇

Great to see IPPR North research on disparities in transport spending on the North, London, and the rest of the country showcased on @itvpeston.bsky.social last night. The difference in spending truly is stark. Read the full report here: lnkd.in/etg4w27f

I can confirm I was not sitting smoking at my desk whilst speaking to Nick Ferrari, even if the evidence here suggests otherwise.

IPPR North@ipprnorth.bsky.social · 8mo ago

“Even if the productivity growth [of the North] was brought up to the average of the UK, an extra £40billion would be brought into the UK each year… this will more than pay for itself” 🎙️ @zoebillingham.bsky.social on @lbc.co.uk this morning, talking all things Northern Powerhouse Rail

Northern Powerhouse Rail - a story of hope & frustration but a much needed investment. I'm glad the government has made the political commitment to delivering it, even if those timescales could be more ambitious... 🎙️Great to speak to the BBC & LBC on today's announcements this morning.

IPPR North@ipprnorth.bsky.social · 8mo ago

🚄A big day for Northern Powerhouse Rail and for the North as the government sets out its commitment to delivering a major infrastructure boost to the region. Director of IPPR North @zoebillingham.bsky.social reacts👇👇

It’s a big day for the long awaited Northern Powerhouse Rail. Strong political commitment from PM & CX of £45bn to its delivery, with £1.1bn to be invested by the end of this Parliament. Key will be the security of commitment & delivery timescales. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Government sets out plans for north of England rail investment

The scheme will be delivered in phases, starting with upgrades to lines between Leeds, York, Bradford and Sheffield.

bbc.co.uk

"Unless [Reform] wanted to strip services away from some of the most vulnerable people in the country – and low and modest earners too – this was always the reality." @zoebillingham.bsky.social on Reform councils raising taxes against pledges, for @bigissue.com👇 www.bigissue.com/news/politic...

Reform UK 'collides with reality' over council tax rises

Reform UK will increase council tax in several councils it controls – despite previously pledging to “cut waste and reduce your taxes”.

bigissue.com

Interesting piece. Highlights “the contrast between the practical solutions being offered by the mayors.. with the far right’s scapegoating” but cautions against polarisation of progressive cities & rural areas. More rural mayors in UK will test mayoral politics. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

‘We have a new role’: mayors across the world increasingly taking on society’s biggest challenges

From Budapest to Barcelona, New York to Paris, mayors are increasingly being thrust on to the political frontlines as they face down the rise of the far right

theguardian.com

Last four days to apply to this cracking @ipprnorth.bsky.social job. Join us in 2026!

IPPR North@ipprnorth.bsky.social · 9mo ago

📢 JOB ALERT! 📢 If you're a creative, analytical leader and thinker we want YOU. IPPR North are looking for an Associate Director (fixed term) with BIG IDEAS for the future of our regions. Office based in Manchester Closing date: 7th Jan www.ippr.org/jobs/associa...

In 2025, a group of us from @ippr.org went to Washington DC to learn from what had gone wrong for US progressives. Handily summarised by this notice at a DC sandwich shop. Slightly longer version here: www.ippr.org/articles/its.... May 2026 bring focus & progressive progress. Happy NYE.

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IPPR North@ipprnorth.bsky.social · 9mo ago

📢 JOB ALERT! 📢 If you're a creative, analytical leader and thinker we want YOU. IPPR North are looking for an Associate Director (fixed term) with BIG IDEAS for the future of our regions. Office based in Manchester Closing date: 7th Jan www.ippr.org/jobs/associa...

Did you know that Leeds is the largest city in western Europe without a mass transit system? The Leeds tram is a great example of intra-regional transport that's critical for connecting communities in the North. But our communities cannot wait any longer... 👇👇 www.reuters.com/world/uk/tra...

Tram network for England's Leeds delayed until late 2030s

Plans for a long-promised tram network in the northern English city of Leeds have been pushed back to the late 2030s, a government review published on Thursday showed, underscoring Britain's chronic d...

reuters.com

📰The Social Mobility Commission’s state of the nation report is out. At IPPR North we're not surprised at its findings. The government must address these disadvantages so the next generations can break out of the doom-loop of regional inequality. 👇👇 www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

UK’s industrial regions face ‘entrenched disadvantages’ going back decades

Social mobility report highlights ‘extreme regional differences’ in terms of childhood, jobs, innovation and growth

theguardian.com