‘Led by the North for the North'. These were the words of Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of the City of Bradford MDC and chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and they resonated with everyone attending the recent Convention of the North.

I attended and can now reflect on the potential next steps for local government. The key is to remain focused on a collaborative ‘One North' approach to driving economic growth. The role of the NP11, (the Northern Powerhouse 11 Local Enterprise Partnership regions) is vital to ensuring the approach is one that unites both the public sector and business.