UK politics is a topsy-turvy world. It can seem that our two main political parties are masquerading as one another. Last week, amid further in-party grumbling, Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis (also touted as a potential Labour leader) told the party to stop ‘rubbishing' the Government's Northern Powerhouse plan – a plan that aims to corral a cluster of Northern England cities to form a counterbalance to London.

And while Jeremy Corbyn stands as one of the Northern Powerhouse detractors, at present he seems to have no viable alternative strategy to redress the yawning North/South economic divide. A refocusing on local government, cities and the growth urban economies represents a credible solution to rebalancing the economy and providing greater localised democracy.