IPPR North

👑| NEW: Key takeaways from the King's Speech that everyone in the North should know👇

Big news for the North in the King's Speech today. From Northern Powerhouse Rail to the Visitor Levy, there's real potential for growth in our region. But if govt want to make real, tangible change for the north, they must go further, faster to make life fairer.

🗳️NEW: "The higher-than-expected turnout in these local elections showed voters were ready to demand change. Local leaders need more political and fiscal autonomy than ever to deliver for their residents." ✏️Read more from @RyanSwift93 for @politicshome politicshome.com/opinion/articl…

It’s time for a decisive shift in Britain’s approach to Europe. Starmer has been signalling that he is willing to think differently - including through the youth experience scheme - but now is the time to be bolder. The King’s Speech should mark a first step, with legislation enabling closer alignment with European rules in key areas to boost trade and support living standards. But one step only takes you so far. The government needs a broader plan for a new UK-EU relationship - not constrained by old red lines, but driven by what is best for Britain.

🏡Renters across the North have seen housing costs rise far quicker than their wages. ⚖️The Renters Rights Act was a welcome start, now govt must go further to protect working people and stabilise rents around the country. Read IPPR's latest report to find out how👇

Our recommendation for a "double lock" on rent increases (to whichever is lower: inflation or wage growth) would save the average households hundreds a year. Read more here: ippr.org/articles/housi…

Read more from @RyanSwift93 here: ippr.org/articles/the-p…

Although awareness of citizens’ assemblies remains relatively low, once the concept was explained, 59 per cent of Greater Manchester residents supported creating a Citizens’ Assembly for the city region. GM has led the way on devolution, now it should do the same for democracy.

☁️A troubling reality hangs over today's local elections: trust in politics has collapsed. New polling in Greater Manchester finds low trust in political institutions to act in the interests of their local area. But why is trust so low?

Businesses rooted in physical spaces are being hit by high taxes and overheads, while online competitors operate with far lower costs, tilting the playing field away from the high street. One option the Treasury could consider is an online sales tax on remote purchases – using the revenue to cut business rates. That would both ease the burden on pubs and venues, and help nudge consumers back towards high streets and local economies.

🏠Today marks a major shift for renters. The Renters’ Rights Act begins to turn the tide on a system that has too often left renters with too little power and too little security. Ending no-fault evictions, limiting rent increases to once a year, making it easier to challenge unfair rises, and driving up standards in rented homes will make a real difference to millions of people across the country. But this is only part of the solution. The biggest pressure facing renters today is the cost of renting itself, and that challenge remains. While the Act introduces important safeguards, it doesn’t tackle the underlying drivers of high rents. Without further action, many renters will continue to feel the squeeze. The next step is clear: explore options to better limit rent increases and deliver the long-term affordability and stability renters need.

It's great to see so much of our work having fed into this ground breaking Act. But now we must see: 💪 strengthening of its safeguards to help future-proof devolution 🗳️a more diverse local government, to bolster our democracy so decisions made for us are made by us.

👉 IPPR North have long been pushing for proper, locally rooted accountability for mayoral authorities. The Act is confirmed to include Local Scrutiny Committees, ensuring that growing mayoral powers are matched by appropriate oversight. ippr.org/articles/accou…

Great news for the North, as the English Devolution Bill (now Act!) received Royal Assent this week 👏👏👏 A welcome demonstration of the government’s commitment to the devolution agenda and a prosperous North...🧵 planningresource.co.uk/article/195648…

🏘️Local leaders should be given the long term fiscal levers to prioritise the needs of their neighbourhoods. 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦Decision making about our communities should be made in our communities, to ensure their needs are met, and our high streets can thrive. More on this soon👀

🚫But we have to push back against the rhetoric used by populists. It isn't just about who is opening the shops. We need to consider who is making decisions about how our high streets look and feel. Especially when they are so integral to communities...

🏬❤️‍🩹People rightly judge the economic health of the country by the state of their high streets. This is even more acute in the North. Of the top 10 hotspots for organised crime on our high streets, 6 are based in the North of England 👇 independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/…