Theresa May accused of ‘snubbing’ the North over Brexit Theresa May has been accused of snubbing Northern England by failing to visit the region for talks about Brexit. Five […]

Theresa May has been accused of snubbing Northern England by failing to visit the region for talks about Brexit.

Five leaders in the North wrote a joint letter to the Prime Minister six months ago inviting her to travel to Manchester to hear their concerns about leaving Europe.

The letter, signed by the leaders of the combined authorities in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, the North East, Sheffield and West Yorkshire, warned: “It is absolutely vital that the voice of the North of England is heard loud and clear during the Brexit negotiations.”

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Leaders across the North are concerned that while an economically powerful London and an increasingly politically important Scotland are having their say, our voices are being drowned out. Greater Manchester mayor Tony Lloyd

The North’s £300bn economy is bigger than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland combined. It is home to one million businesses and exports goods worth more than £55bn a year.

Mrs May met leaders of the devolved governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to discuss Brexit in Cardiff this week.

It is understood Brexit Minister David Jones has written back to decline the invitation saying the Prime Minister was unable to commit to a meeting due to “diary restraints”, but the views of the North would be heard as Britain leaves the EU.

David Davies, the Brexit Secretary, has said he will convene a meeting of elected mayors in the Northern Powerhouse to discuss Brexit.

But mayors are only due to be elected in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and the Tees Valley in May after the North East devolution deal collapsed and Yorkshire still locked in disagreement about geography.

Mr Lloyd said: “The Prime Minister needs to urgently rethink her decision to snub the North of England.

”The North has a population greater than London and almost three times that of Scotland. Our economy is significantly larger than Wales’ and Scotland’s. We cannot and will not be ignored.

“I know that Leaders across the North are concerned that while an economically powerful London and an increasingly politically important Scotland are having their say, our voices are being drowned out.

“The Prime Minister cannot claim to want a Brexit deal that works for the whole of the UK but at the same time ignore the North of England. The only way we’ll get a Brexit deal that works for the North is for the PM to speak to the North.”

Mayors’ summit

A Government spokesman said: ”Seeing the North reach its full potential is one of the Prime Minister’s key priorities, as demonstrated just last week when she visited the North West to hold her first regional cabinet as part of the launch of the industrial strategy.“

Ministers from the Department for Exiting the EU and other departments have met hundreds of businesses, stakeholders and local leaders across the North to ensure that their voice is heard and to discuss the opportunities ahead as we plan our exit from the EU.

”Following the mayoral elections in May the Secretary of State for DExEU will also invite combined mayors of the North to a summit to discuss how their regions’ interests can be advanced by the UK’s EU exit.”