‘We must give control back to the North by improving public transport’

For the Tories, ‘levelling up’ the North is an election slogan. For Labour, it must be a job we deliver on.

As a Northerner, I get fed up with Tory MPs standing up in the House of Commons to talk about their party levelling up the North. 

Since 2010, local councils have had their budgets cut down to the bone. The impact of austerity is still felt in places like St Helens. Local councils do what they can to limit the damage to residents, but there is only so much they can do without a Labour government in Westminster.

Two of the biggest areas when it comes to levelling up are transport and town centres. To truly level up the North, devolution is the way forward.

London-style public transport networks

In the North West, we have already seen the impact Labour metro mayors can have. With Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham both looking to create London-style public transport networks. Yet devolution for the North cannot stop at the big cities, towns need it as well. In Lisa Nandy, we will have a Levelling Up Secretary that gets Northern towns.

The towns in-between Liverpool and Manchester are forced to rely on the national rail network. For us, that is Northern Rail and TransPennine Express. Words that fill us with dread. Questions arise of will the train turn up, will it be cancelled, and how much will the prices have gone up this year.

Whenever a Northerner travels to London, it is smooth and at the same time irritating to move around. The new Elizabeth Line covers 73 miles and is air conditioned. This is stuff we could only dream of. When talk of high-speed rail connecting the great towns and cities of the North comes up, it ultimately falls to London-based decision makers to fund it. 

To decide on these transport projects, and whether a new line or electrification is necessary, they often look at current usage figures. Yet this does not take the knowledge of local people into consideration. Locals will know better which lines would be used if they were reliable. Making judgements about which projects to fund based on usage when our existing train network is awful simply does not work.

Privatised public transport is now responding to need

Good transport is vital for towns near to big cities. Not just for commuters, but for local residents to meet family, to socialise or get to their own town centres. Under the current privatised system of transport that dominates in a lot of towns, the expectation is on these companies to turn a profit for their shareholders. Yet they should be seen as infrastructure to help people get around to boost our economy. If it is cheaper and easier to get to town centres, more people will go there. 

Yet we must be careful not to mislead voters. Town centres are never going to be the same. The shops that have closed are unlikely to return. The rise of out-of-town centre retail parks in most towns has happened due to the way people prefer to shop. It is usually free to park, and you are a lot closer to the shops you want to go to. 

The question arises of what town centres can be for. What can they offer that these out-of-town retail parks cannot. St Helens Borough Council are demolishing outdated buildings to free up space near to Sankey Canal. Spaces that make it a more desirable location for families and friends to visit local bars and restaurants. But this does not have to be limited to just the main town centre. For St Helens, they also secured funding for Earlestown town centre. In Warrington, there is also Stockton Heath. Knowsley has many hubs, including notably Prescot High Street with the new Shakespeare North theatre. 

A new era of flexible work creates opportunity

In an era when more people are working flexibly, often relocating within commuter distance of the big Northern cities, there are huge opportunities for towns to capitalise on. Unfortunately, the Tories do not seem to get this or care. To succeed, devolution is key. Locals understand that many of their neighbours or friends live in the town, but do not work there. This is fine. There are some jobs that are always likely to remain in the bigger cities. Yet the opportunity is there for towns to adapt to this. By offering wonderful opportunities for families, particularly those with young children who are looking to make a town their long-term home, towns can really thrive. 

Labour council leaders and mayors in the North have had a tough time of it since the Tories came to power. Yet through the hardship they have an even better understanding of how to help their towns and cities when we finally have a Labour government. We must give them the power and the funding to make a difference. Only then we will see levelling up. To turn a phrase, we must give back control to the North.