Devolution and The Northern Powerhouse take centre stage at this year’s GMCC Annual Dinner

Chamber Chief Executive Clive Memmott

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This year’s Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Dinner was focused firmly on the issues around devolution for the city region and the wider issues around ‘Northern Powerhouse’.

Chamber Chief Executive Clive Memmott in his speech at the dinner said: “The ‘Northern Powerhouse’ is about a significant change in thinking, it is about working smartly with other northern cities and connecting them efficiently to create a single labour market which will provide the combined power to better balance our economy and give us more clout nationally and globally.

"The Powerhouse is built on the strong foundations and leadership provided by Greater Manchester. This City Region has worked its socks off for over 20 years to state its case for the devolution of power and put in place the structures and governance to enable this to happen.”

He added: “My job is to get people, and business, excited about the prospect of devolution and the benefits it can bring – it’s vital that we capture their imagination with a powerful, simple and relevant vision of what devolution means to them which doesn’t focus on back-office wiring and political process, important though this is.

“Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce will continue to give this passionate and pragmatic support but the proof of the pudding is in the eating and if the system and outcomes that emerge aren’t more efficient than the centralised model, we will have failed.

"I have every confidence that we will succeed and business will be at the heart of the successful transition towards real devolution and an exciting new labour market in the north based on 21st century infrastructure that should be every bit as good as that in the south. “

Delivering one of this year’s keynote speeches at the Annual Dinner, Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Jim O’Neill said: “I spent most of my career examining the factors that drive economic growth.

"During my time in the City, I concluded that the countries which are the most successful all have strong, interconnected urban areas, beyond the capital. That is what we want to create here in the UK. It’s what the Chancellor, a year ago, called the Northern Powerhouse.

"At the time, I said it was probably the most important speech on the balance of economic competences in our country by a Chancellor for at least 30 years. And I am thrilled to be one of the Ministers helping make it reality.

"I think we are on the verge of something quite exciting here, something which could revitalise our nation’s cities. The combination which we are putting in place, combining greater investment and more powers to local decision-makers, could be game-changing. Our challenge now is to make the most of it.”

The annual dinner also featured keynote speeches from Sir Richard Leese and Tony Lloyd.

The evening was hosted by presenter and comedian, Alexander Armstrong.