The state of the North: Setting a baseline for the devolution decade

This new report from IPPR North, marking 10 years since their launch, highlights the most important trends in the north of England over the last decade.

Looking at economic growth and productivity, investment, public services and welfare, housing, demographics and political attitudes, it gives an overview of the North’s successes, challenges and future prospects.

While the north of England continues to face a number of challenges, there are also reasons for optimism. Whilst some of the challenges faced by the North have been deepened by recession and spending cuts, there is a strong sense they can be overcome if the right approaches to policy and subnational governance are adopted.

It is also proposed that annual State of the North reports are produced over the next decade. These will reflect less on longer-term trends and more on the changes and challenges happening on a yearly basis, and continue to present analysis and policy proposals driven by an evidence base.