Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has cast aside traditional ‘trickle down’ economics in a keynote speech to northern leaders in Liverpool, arguing only state intervention can close the north-south divide.
In remarks that will be unpopular with many senior figures in his own party, the Tory minister said traditional free-market approaches had failed places outside of London.
Speaking to the annual Convention of the North gathering of political and business leaders, he said there was a ‘moral’ case to level up the country, including through devolution - but in a warning to mayors, he also said that ‘with power comes responsibility’.
The cabinet minister, who last week published his flagship levelling up white paper to a lukewarm reception, said he made ‘no apology’ for the length of the document.
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