Tory heavyweights line up for northern conference

THE ARCHITECT of the Northern Powerhouse and the Minister responsible for overseeing the concept at Cabinet level are confirmed to appear at this month’s Great Northern Conference.

Former Chancellor George Osborne and the Transport Secretary/Northern Powerhouse Minister Grant Shapps will speak at the event at Sheffield’s Cutler’s Hall on Thursday March 19.

The pair will be joined by Sheffield City Region mayor Dan Jarvis, Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe and more than 25 guest speakers from the worlds of business, education and academia.

The event will be presented by Radio 5 Live presenter Danni Hewson.

The conference will fully explore the opportunities and challenges for the North in a post-Brexit Britain, with key figures from industry, politics, public sector, the media, government and the wider community taking part.

A wide range of subjects are set to be included, including education, connectivity, trading, investment and many smaller break-out workshops, under the #OneNorth banner.

James Mitchinson, editor of The Yorkshire Post and event co-founder, said: “The General Election saw much in the way of promises made to the North. Now is the time for those promises to be properly articulated; properly scrutinised and properly delivered.”

He added: “Last year’s successful inaugural Great Northern Conference was born out of this vision, with its ambition widely supported by business leaders across the North. This year’s conference will be a high-profile opportunity to put these matters to senior Government figures with the expectation that detailed plans will be forthcoming.”

Tickets for the event are close to selling out but can be obtained by visiting www. greatnorthernpowerhouse. co.uk.