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Labour is to unveil plans for a powerful ‘Council of the North’ with its own investment bank to bring jobs and growth back to Northern England.

Shadow cabinet minister Jon Trickett will announce proposals for elected Mayors and council leaders from across the North to sit together on a powerful new body to rival Westminster.

The Council of the North would be given its own Northern Investment Bank to plough much-needed cash into new housing developments, transport links and other key infrastructure across the region.

The 'devo-max' plan is part of a wider Labour push to win back support from UKIP in its key Northern heartlands.

"The North of England is a slumbering giant," Mr Trickett will say in a speech on Friday.

"Roused from our torpor we are capable of delivering a new and better economy which works for every single region."

Mr Trickett, a former Leeds City Council leader who is now Jeremy Corbyn 's election co-ordinator, will also commit to to making sure the North gets its fair share of any 'Brexit bonus' to the public finances after Britain leaves the EU.

(Image: Getty)

He will also suggest the North gets new powers over tax-and-spend, further stripping power away from Westminster.

"I will be announcing in due course the setting up of a new Commission for the North to produce a concrete plan for creating the Council of the North and the Northern Investment Bank," he will say.

"The Commission will also be charged with making proposals for fiscal devolution from Whitehall, in order to ensure fair funding for all our public services and a fair share of the money repatriated from the EU when we get to the other side of Brexit ."

The speech comes as Labour continues to consolidate its new power bases in major cities across England.

Former Labour Minister Sadiq Khan was elected Mayor of London last year and fellow big-hitters Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram look certain to be elected the Mayors of Greater Manchester and Merseyside respectively in May.

(Image: Getty) (Image: Trinity Mirror)

Mr Trickett will say his new Council of the North will be vital to ensure the new generation of Northern civic leaders work together rather than in competition.

"There is a danger that different parts of the North are left fighting amongst ourselves, with mayor competing against mayor and council against council," he will say.

So...we will then build a mighty Council of the North bringing elected mayors, councils and MPs together for the whole region to plan a better future for each one of us."

Today's speech in Yorkshire will be the first in a series of new year messages from Mr Trickett designed to shore up Labour's support in the North.

UKIP has made clear it is targeting Labour heartland areas under its new Scouse leader, Paul Nuttall.