Northern mayors, council leaders and business representatives are calling on the government to learn lessons from Germany by 'hard-wiring' levelling up into UK law. They want central government to move away from the current competitive bidding systems like the Levelling Up fund awarded last week.
They are calling for a financial settlement where all regions have the funding they need to close the gaps in living standards and help grow the national economy. It comes ahead of the Convention of the North where local leaders from across the region will meet in Manchester on Wednesday (January 25).
Together with levelling up secretary Michael Gove and Labour MP Lisa Nandy, German minister Carsten Schneider is due to address the annual convention. He will tell the audience how Germany levelled up through its constitution.
