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North East Northern Powerhouse insight: Amy Jackson, Unwritten Creative

In an ongoing series, Jamie Hardesty is talking to North East business leaders in an attempt to understand the region’s feelings towards the government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative.

The next regional figurehead to take part in our investigation is Amy Jackson, director of Newcastle branding agency Unwritten Creative.

What does the Northern Powerhouse mean to you?

There’s still a vagueness around what the Northern Powerhouse is and what it is going to do for us, and it’s easy to dismiss it or turn your nose up at it because of that lack of understanding. Is it something concrete or is it just a phrase?

If it’s just a term to portray how powerful we are and can be in the north, then I’m fine with that. But either way the Northern Powerhouse needs to be defined in the same way you would a brand. It doesn’t necessarily need a visual identity, but officially defined values and core aims could answer a lot of questions I hear regularly asked.

Are there signs of the Northern Powerhouse starting to bear fruit in the region?

While it’s early days, the one thing the Northern Powerhouse is doing is getting people together, and that could be a positive catalyst for change. There has not been a business event I’ve attended this year where the Northern Powerhouse hasn’t been on the agenda or come up in conversation.

Has the Government done enough to convince you of its commitment to Osborne’s vision?

Osborne has made a start, but his real challenge is in how he communicates the powerhouse vision to the man and woman on the street. While it’s being discussed in Whitehall and in business forums and events, if I asked parents in the school yard about what the Northern Powerhouse was going to do for them, or if I started talking to my friends outside of the business community, they wouldn’t be engaged in the whole concept, and they probably wouldn’t be my friends for very long!

Transport improvement is intrinsic to the Northern Powerhouse. Do you believe that spending billions on infrastructure will improve Northern productivity?

Without doubt, investment in transport is one of the main priorities for the region. George Osborne’s commitment to ensuring that other major northern cities outside Manchester benefit from HS3 is to be welcomed, as are improvements to the A66 and the A69. With greater connectivity between the region’s major economic centres, we can better work together to create a more powerful north.

Are there any other areas which you believe money should be spent on, ahead of transport?

If Osborne’s rhetoric of closing the north-south economic divide is to be realised, the focus must be on helping entrepreneurs and businesses to grow and create jobs. More investment in training is vital. If you’re taking someone from the ground up, that can be great, but it also requires a lot of time, effort and money. That has to be worthwhile for both parties.

Does the North East need a mayor? If so, who should it be?

If we are truly to benefit from the Northern Powerhouse, then we need strong leadership. If we are to have devolved powers for the North East then there must be a democratically-elected person held accountable for the finances and the decisions which come with that. As far as I’m aware only Jeremy Middleton has stepped forward at the moment, he certainly has the strong business credentials that are needed in such a role.

Will the Northern Powerhouse be realised in the North East?

I hope so, but it is only going to work if those in power are clear about its vision and aims, so businesses, individuals and communities can get behind it.

Thanks Amy.

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