Prime Minister strengthens Northern Powerhouse with joint ministerial appointment

Appointment will see the Northern Powerhouse Minister’s oversight and coordination of local economic growth boosted to improve its impact for people and communities across the country. 

• Northern Powerhouse portfolio strengthened with new ministerial position
• Prime Minister confirms Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, will become a joint minister between the Ministry of Housing and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Minister Berry heralds a ‘new era’ for the Northern Powerhouse with a renewed impetus and focus on growth

The government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse has been further strengthened today (7 June 2019) with the Prime Minister confirming that a new joint ministerial appointment is being made for the Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP.

The joint ministerial position, shared between the Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government and Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, will see the Northern Powerhouse Minister’s oversight and coordination of local economic growth boosted to improve its impact for people and communities across the country.  It will also ensure key policies like the £1.6 billion Stronger Towns Fund and the Northern Powerhouse are at the heart of delivering the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.  

The appointment comes ahead of a refreshed Northern Powerhouse Strategy, due to be published later this year, bringing together the Government, northern businesses and local leaders with a renewed focus on growth.  

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP, said:

At the heart of the Northern Powerhouse is an unshakeable partnership between business, communities and government. 

We’re investing more into transport in the north than any other government in history, and with nearly 50% of the north represented by Metro Mayors, a Northern Powerhouse economy worth over £339 billion, and now, with an expanded, cross-governmental ministerial position, that partnership is stronger than ever.

I’m delighted to accept this new appointment and I’m grateful to the Prime Minister for the unwavering support she has given to the Northern Powerhouse.

We are on the cusp of a new era for the north with our modern Industrial Strategy boosting economic growth, supporting advanced manufacturing and creating the right economic conditions to make the Northern Powerhouse one of the most competitive, business-friendly regions not just in the UK but in the world.

Communities Secretary, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, said:

With this broadened ministerial role, the government has cemented its long-term commitment to the Northern Powerhouse. In Jake Berry, the government has a minister who has worked tirelessly with the Metro Mayors and our partners in the public and private sectors to drive growth, investment and job creation throughout the north.

As we look to the future – including the Borderlands Growth Deal and the second phase of the Grimsby Town Deal – the government has an empowered minister ready to roll up their sleeves and deliver for the Northern Powerhouse and local communities across the country.

Business Secretary, the Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, said:

I would like to warmly welcome Jake Berry to BEIS in his strengthened role as joint MHCLG & BEIS Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth Minister.

I look forward to working with him on this important agenda, as we work with local leaders across the country on their local Industrial Strategies, helping to build on the strengths of each area to secure their economic future.

The Northern Powerhouse is government’s vision for a more prosperous north with good-paying jobs for hard-working people, better roads and railways, higher-performing schools and world-beating universities.

Since the Northern Powerhouse was launched in 2014, we have seen increased investment, enhanced international profile for the north and new powers devolved to the northern regions.

Our plan is simple—empower, connect, and invest in our great northern cities, towns, and rural communities to kick-start a stronger, more prosperous northern economy.

It’s not just a plan for the future – it’s a story of success. The Northern Powerhouse’s GVA (gross value added) is £339.4 billion, 19.4% of the UK total, and it has seen a £10 billion real terms increase since the start of the Northern Powerhouse in 2014.