Mike Emmerich

George Osborne described it as ‘a massive moment for the north of England and [Government’s] plan to build a Northern Powerhouse’.

The recent ‘devo-manc’ agreement means that Greater Manchester’s Combined Authority will soon have new powers and control over public spending. It is indeed a significant step change for Greater Manchester and given time, this could be viewed in history as the start of a seismic shift in how Britain’s system of governance works.

Whilst we arguably have the Scots to thank for putting devolution firmly on the public’s agenda this year, it is the debate around metropolitan-led growth that has been quietly bubbling under the surface.