THE North of England contributed six per cent more to the national economy than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland combined, a new report by an independent think tank has suggested.

But the IPPR North report also concluded that in the decade to 2012, the devolved nations were spending “far more” per head on increasing their economies through skills and infrastructure investment, plus research and development. while the North grew at a slower rate.

It found that over the last ten years government spending on economic affairs had been “highly skewed” towards London and Scotland.

It also suggested that the major city-regions of the North were driving employment growth. and that manufacturing made the biggest contribution to the Northern economy,.