labour party conference roundtable: Unlocking investment across the north
Kicking off Labour Party Conference on Sunday 27th September, the Northern Growth Group hosted a roundtable in collaboration with Be the Business to discuss how we unlock investment across the North.
At this year’s Labour Party Conference, we hosted a VIP roundtable bringing together MPs, investors, business leaders, and regional policy experts to tackle a crucial question: how do we connect capital to the North’s untapped potential?
With fiscal devolution and "No.10 North" reshaping regional governance, central government and metro mayors must work differently with private enterprise to drive sustainable growth.
Key Takeaways
Transport infrastructure is a bottleneck. Decades of underinvestment in Northern transport directly limit productivity. As Patrick Hurley, MP for Southport noted, a 35-mile train journey from Southport to Manchester currently takes 1.5 hours, whereas Manchester Picadilly to London, 161 miles takes only 2. Gill Morris (Devo Agency) and Paul Reilly (WSP UK & Ireland) also emphasised that without reliable, connected transport, businesses simply cannot attract investment or link workers to jobs.
We need strategic alignment that crosses borders. Investors need clarity, but regional fragmentation creates friction and arbitrary competition. Miranda Barker (RedCAT Group) highlighted how places like Lancashire, currently outside strategic authorities, struggle to bridge the "valley of death" between development and commercial revenue. Mick Swales (North Star Publications) added that while mayors are collaborating more, eliminating regional competition remains vital.
Aligning skills priorities across regions is key. Devolution offers a huge opportunity to tailor training to local employer needs. However, Emma Leary (City & Guilds) warned against over-localising: cross-Northern collaboration is essential to create flexible pathways for young people across the entire economy.
Design drives economic value. Cat Drew (Design Council) made the case for viewing design as a major economic growth driver, pointing out that every £1 invested in design yields £20 for small businesses. Reimagining transit hubs as civic, growth-focused spaces creates lasting value far beyond basic infrastructure.
The bottom line: Unlocking the North’s economic engine requires breaking down institutional silos, funding critical transit links, and aligning regional skills strategies with long-term capital.
