Under former communities secretary Eric Pickles the word ‘region' was effectively banned in the corridors of power. Now under new prime minister Theresa May it is back in fashion; her government's focus is on boosting growth in Britain's regions, in particular those areas outside the core cities and the Northern Powerhouse where prosperity has passed on by and whose voters backed Brexit as a protest.

No 10 says its policy is ‘promoting a diversity of industrial sectors and ensuring the benefits of growth are shared across cities and regions up and down the country.'