Young people in the Powerhouse: how do we build back better in the north?

It was fabulous to see the virtual stage given over to so many young people during the course of the event.

We know from previous studies – in particular the work of the children’s commissioner – that growing up in the north brings with it an additional level of challenge. We also know that Covid has had a disproportionate impact on the health of communities in the north and that lockdowns have been particularly damaging for young people in the same areas due to the high percentage in insecure work.

The Spending Review includes some big money programmes designed to mitigate the jobs crisis that Andy Burnham fears will take the north back to the worst conditions of the early 1980s. Kickstart, Restart and the other programmes announced will help in the short term, but we should also look further ahead at the kind of economy we might want to create as we recover – as this is the economic legacy we will pass on to the next generation. What does building back better actually mean, and will it work for the young people who are the sharp end of the crisis now?