Northern Powerhouse minister puts Lancashire in the spotlight

The Northern Powerhouse Minister Andrew Percy MP has been undertaking a tour of Lancashire today (Wednesday November 9th) which includes a series of official engagements highlighting Lancashire’s significance within the Powerhouse initiative.

Facilitated by Lancashire-born BBC Radio Five Live’s Tony Livesey, the event saw the minister give an update on progress regarding the Northern Powerhouse initiative and highlight the key role Lancashire is set play in helping to boost the economic prosperity of the whole of the North

Minister Andrew Percy MP signing #NorthernPowerhouse partnership agreement with Lancashire LEP @lancslep pic.twitter.com/nHEQS8VHYK

— BEIS North West (@beisnorthwest) November 9, 2016

The Minister was joined at the conference by Councillor Simon Blackburn, leader of Blackpool Council and Chair of the shadow Lancashire Combined Authority, Edwin Booth, chair of the Lancashire LEP, and Jennifer Mein, leader of Lancashire County Council.

Conference delegates heard about the new Lancashire narrative; a distillation of Lancashire’s key sectoral strengths which will be used to help target and promote new investment opportunities across the county. The narrative, which has been developed after extensive consultation with hundreds of local businesses across the county, is set to be adopted by both private and public sector organisations, and high profile individuals, to convey a unified and bold Lancashire identity - regionally, nationally and internationally – for the first time.

“We’re backing the North with the investment and powers it needs to fulfil its huge untapped potential and I’m pleased to see businesses here, working alongside the Lancashire LEP, are pledging their support.”

This is our story #WeAreLancashire pic.twitter.com/GDn3ABWc3c

— Marketing Lancashire (@MarketingLancs) November 9, 2016

Edwin Booth, chair of the Lancashire LEP said: “The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership is delighted to be the first LEP in the country to confirm its position as an official Northern Powerhouse partner and to play a full and active role in the Powerhouse initiative. We wanted to take mark this occasion by inviting the Minister to Lancashire so he can see for himself the continuing, credible progress of the Lancashire LEP and partners are making across a wide range of sectors and markets.