The Northern Powerhouse

Four years ago today, George Osborne delivered his Northern Powerhouse speech. Two years ago today, the Northern Powerhouse swung the EU referendum for Leave, repudiating 40 failed years under all three parties.

And last year, it followed that up by delivering the hung Parliament that had been predicted on this site, but which inexplicably came as a surprise to a commentariat that had assumed that voting for Brexit would mean voting for the party that had come to embody everything of which Brexit was a repudiation.

By contrast, 3.5 million people who had voted Remain then voted Conservative. 1.8 million of those were in the South outside London, where they are now on course to flip between 10 and 20 seats, if not more, to the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives are going full headless chicken about this barely reported threat.

Be in no doubt that Theresa May, whose own constituency voted Remain and who has no political or personal ties to anyone who did not, will bring back a deal that involved staying in the Single Market and the Customs Union. She will then put that to a referendum at which the only other option will be to remain in the EU altogether. There will be no Third Way.

For those of us who do not favour either option, the only solution is a change of Government, with our people holding the balance of power in the next hung Parliament that is inevitable in itself.

On that basis, then, forward instead the extra £350 million per week for the NHS. Forward to the restoration of the United Kingdom's historic fishing rights of 200 miles or to the median line, in accordance with international law.

Forward to a trade agreement with each of the BRICS countries while remaining thoroughly critical of all five of their current Governments. Forward to the integration into the Belt and Road Initiative of all four parts of the United Kingdom, of all nine English regions, and of all of the British Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. And forward to very much more besides.

I need £10,000 in order to stand for Parliament with any chance of winning. My crowdfunding page has been taken down without my knowledge or consent. But you can still email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com instead, and that address accepts PayPal.