The Conservatives have sought to put their Northern Powerhouse ambitions back on track after the Chancellor announced a major devolution deal in the North East.
Mr Hammond said the £600m North of the Tyne deal agreed with Newcastle, Northumberland and North Tyneside councils will boost economic growth in a region of 815,000 people.
The agreement, one of a raft of schemes including a £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund aimed at getting “all parts of the UK firing on all cylinders”, will see the creation of a new combined authority led by a directly-elected mayor just five years after voters in Newcastle rejected the idea.
Read More
