🏘️"Neighbourhood precincts are often people’s go to spaces... it’s right they are taken as seriously as high streets. We need physical spaces to come together, to regain a lost sense of community." @zoebillingham.bsky.social spoke to The Guardian👇👇 www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Thanks also to @joshhalliday.bsky.social for covering the work, and lovely to see comments in here from @zoebillingham.bsky.social and @drjennings.bsky.social too! www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

🥇 NORTH OF ENGLAND 2040 🥇 Hosting the Olympics in the North would be a GAME CHANGER for the region. Bringing a boost to investment, job opportunities, and the visitor economy; people would feel its impact in the years to come and the decades following. thegreatnorth.org.uk/news/the-gre...

📗We welcome the Chancellor's efforts in shifting Treasury orthodoxy so that projects in the North can get fair shots. Yet, this is the 3rd change to the Green Book in as many years, the fact it's taking so long shows the depth of this culture in Westminster. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politic...

“Make the North even greater”cc @thenorthernagenda.bsky.social

Great to see @martinsandbu.ft.com rejecting fatalism on regional inequality & focusing on what can be done… www.ft.com/content/91de...

📊ONS employment figures for the North East released today paint a stark image of the region - but they don't tell the whole story. @indiafhg.bsky.social, Newcastle-based researcher at IPPR North explains why👇👇

Clear thinking from @xiaoweixu.bsky.social as usual on the UK youth mobility story - more in IFS publication below. Great to hear @amcanning.bsky.social experience of the Bradford Opportunity Area. Bringing health & education together meant glasses for kids so they can learn to read.

Great to see IPPR North research on disparities in transport spending on the North, London, and the rest of the country showcased on @itvpeston.bsky.social last night. The difference in spending truly is stark. Read the full report here: lnkd.in/etg4w27f

I can confirm I was not sitting smoking at my desk whilst speaking to Nick Ferrari, even if the evidence here suggests otherwise.

Northern Powerhouse Rail - a story of hope & frustration but a much needed investment. I'm glad the government has made the political commitment to delivering it, even if those timescales could be more ambitious... 🎙️Great to speak to the BBC & LBC on today's announcements this morning.

It’s a big day for the long awaited Northern Powerhouse Rail. Strong political commitment from PM & CX of £45bn to its delivery, with £1.1bn to be invested by the end of this Parliament. Key will be the security of commitment & delivery timescales. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Unless [Reform] wanted to strip services away from some of the most vulnerable people in the country – and low and modest earners too – this was always the reality." @zoebillingham.bsky.social on Reform councils raising taxes against pledges, for @bigissue.com👇 www.bigissue.com/news/politic...

Interesting piece. Highlights “the contrast between the practical solutions being offered by the mayors.. with the far right’s scapegoating” but cautions against polarisation of progressive cities & rural areas. More rural mayors in UK will test mayoral politics. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Last four days to apply to this cracking @ipprnorth.bsky.social job. Join us in 2026!

In 2025, a group of us from @ippr.org went to Washington DC to learn from what had gone wrong for US progressives. Handily summarised by this notice at a DC sandwich shop. Slightly longer version here: www.ippr.org/articles/its.... May 2026 bring focus & progressive progress. Happy NYE.

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Did you know that Leeds is the largest city in western Europe without a mass transit system? The Leeds tram is a great example of intra-regional transport that's critical for connecting communities in the North. But our communities cannot wait any longer... 👇👇 www.reuters.com/world/uk/tra...

📰The Social Mobility Commission’s state of the nation report is out. At IPPR North we're not surprised at its findings. The government must address these disadvantages so the next generations can break out of the doom-loop of regional inequality. 👇👇 www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

New year, new start? Great new job @ipprnorth.bsky.social will be posted this week👀

📈 This morning, our Director @zoebillingham.bsky.social presented to The Great North Board on securing pan northern investment. ⚽And the brand new Everton stadium was a brilliant location for the board meeting! Pictured below...

Great to be on BBC North West couch this morning, live from Media City with Paul Waugh MP & Conservative Cheshire & Warrington mayoral candidate Ben Fletcher. Broad consensus on the need for mayors to be able to have financial freedoms & more devolved power, some disagreement on Budget 2025!

This, this & this👇 Removing the two-child limit supports working families.

Distributional analysis published alongside the Budget shows that the poorest will benefit most from the measures - particularly due to welfare and public service improvements. Source: www.gov.uk/government/p...

Some good calls today, with room to improve on the cost of living & regional investment..

🔔It’s Budget Day!🔔 This Budget will show who the government is working for. We’ll be looking out to see if it passes our three tests: ⚖️ Is it fair, asking more of those with the broadest shoulders? 💷 Does it reduce the cost of living? 📈 Is it pro-growth?

We hope government will help lift 500,000 children out of poverty today. High time to end the arbitrary two-child benefit cap.

Great to have worked with many of England’s mayors, @np-partnership.bsky.social, @centreforcities.bsky.social & @clesthinkdo.bsky.social on helping to make the case 🙌

Devolution is essential for empowering our communities, councillors & mayors - but also our MPs. Read why in my opinion piece for @labourlist.bsky.social✍️ Do you agree? labourlist.org/2025/11/no-m...

Targeting the cost of living wins elections. Can Mayor Mamdani deliver with so many working against him? He is willing to be “caught trying” to improve affordability & will no doubt communicate progress well, so I feel hopeful. If he fails, we’ll still know whose side he’s on.

Yes

Should UK mayors learn from @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social? Like Mamdani they should be not be afraid to be "caught trying" to reduce the cost of living. Read my latest column for the The Municipal Journal✍️ www.themj.co.uk/uk-mayors-le...

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Our Marcus' take on the announced Pride in Place funding

Such a brilliant panel this afternoon where we responded to the PM’s challenge of ‘grassroots growth’.

How do you grow the country in every corner? Join us this afternoon for our final event at Labour conference with @mayorofwy.bsky.social @miattafahnbulleh.bsky.social @rjpartington.bsky.social & our own Marcus Johns.📍15:45, Arena Room Dee, ACC.

So far we've already heard about visitor levies, council tax, transport fares, and the politics of devolution...

Proposed tweak:

And we're kicking off with our event ✨ Devolution Revolution✨ with @andyburnham.bsky.social @allymcgovern.bsky.social, @localtrust.org.uk' Rachel Rowney & Big Local's Jack Burkinshaw. Chaired by our @zoebillingham.bsky.social #LC25 #IPPRfringe #devolution

Are you in Liverpool for Labour conference? Come & join us @ipprnorth.bsky.social today with @allymcgovern.bsky.social & Andy Burnham to talk devolution with our partners @localtrust.org.uk at 3.15pm at the Museum of Liverpool. Full IPPR schedule here: www.ippr.org/events/ippr-...

Are you in Liverpool for Labour conference? Come & join us @ipprnorth.bsky.social today with @allymcgovern.bsky.social & Andy Burnham to talk devolution with our partners @localtrust.org.uk at 3.15pm at the Museum of Liverpool. Full IPPR schedule here: www.ippr.org/events/ippr-...

💡 Coming up at #Lab25 | IPPR’s Big Ideas Debate: How to be an “insurgent government”? 🕒 17:30–19:00 📍 Education Area 3, Museum of Liverpool With: 👉 @stephenkb 👉 @pollymackenzie 👉 Zoë Billingham 👉 Jane Gingrich 👉 Matthew McGregor 👉 Sacha Hilhorst

As the “Devo Bill” makes its way through Parliament, it’s very welcome that @labourtogether.bsky.social @jpspencer.bsky.social are calling for it to go further on fiscal devolution, powers over public services & reform to the Lords. static1.squarespace.com/static/64f70...

Great to see senior Labour figures now directly endorsing this proposal to undo the two-child limit & help reduce child poverty in the UK.

ICYMI: for the New Statesman weekend essay, author of recent IPPR paper @sachahilhorst.bsky.social describes the decline of community in former mining towns, and how we can build it back www.newstatesman.com/politics/soc...

I spoke on TalkTV’s ‘Debate desk’ with Peter Cardwell & Reform Cllr Maxwell Harrison this morning. We discussed (& disagreed) about the week’s news inc. on immigration (my view is one-in-one-out shows control; safe routes still needed) & Gaza (two state solution right). Now r&r!

Today I had the privilege of speaking on behalf of @ipprnorth.bsky.social on a panel chaired by Youth Futures Foundation's Anna Round. Was great to be in Sunderland, with fellow northerners talking about such an important topic....

📺Yesterday our @zoebillingham.bsky.social addressed the devolution bill committee. 👀Scrutiny is vital to the future of devolution. Local and mayoral accounts committees are essential for strengthening accountability and enabling further devolution of power and resources. Watch her here: 👇

This afternoon I am giving evidence to the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill Committee. The Bill covers v helpful ground but needs to go further on fiscal devolution, protections for devolution, accountability & representation of political leaders.

TODAY'S THE DAY! ✨ Looking forward to seeing everyone and having a fruitful discussion about how The Kid's (sadly) Aren't Alright