Embracing Decentralisation: Empowering Northern Businesses to Lead from the Ground Up
April heralds the start of a new financial year in the UK, a traditional moment when businesses reflect on the past and set their sights on the future. However, in an era marked by global uncertainty and rapid change, many business leaders struggle to forecast even the coming month’s landscape, let alone establish clear goals for the entire year ahead.
This pervasive uncertainty often drives companies to await governmental milestones or policy announcements, hoping for a semblance of stability to inform their strategies. Yet, as recent experience shows, such certainty is elusive. For instance, the Autumn Budget last November generated months of speculation but resulted in minimal substantive change. This prolonged anticipation had a dampening effect on business confidence, with less than half of UK firms (46%) forecasting an increase in turnover as 2026 approached, according to a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses.
Given the ongoing volatility on the international stage—from geopolitical tensions to economic fluctuations—it is reasonable to infer that business confidence has not significantly improved since then. This reality underscores a vital insight: true business prosperity does not hinge on policy documents or government announcements. Instead, it stems from the vision, resilience, and proactive drive of business owners and leaders who shape their own paths and adapt dynamically rather than passively awaiting external direction.
This belief was a key motivation behind the launch of True North in 2023. Today, True North is a collaborative network comprising over 600 primarily privately owned, owner-managed businesses across the North of England. Its mission is to foster a genuine sense of community, facilitate the sharing of insights, and create opportunities for collaboration. By uniting like-minded organisations, True North aims to unlock the North’s latent economic potential through grassroots initiatives rather than relying solely on top-down mandates.
Breaking Out from Short-Term Political Cycles
The economic landscape for northern businesses has seen notable improvement over the past decade, bolstered by significant infrastructure investments. Recent commitments, such as the Chancellor’s £1.7 billion funding pledge to northern city regions outlined in the Mais Lecture, illustrate a strategic focus on “renewing Britain” by transforming northern towns into thriving hubs of advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and creative industries.
However, while central government investment is important, sustainable success in the North depends heavily on decentralised decision-making. This is highlighted in Brabners’ Making Places Work report, which identified a strong correlation between long-term devolved powers and civic engagement. Remarkably, eight out of the top ten local authorities for civic involvement belong to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority or Liverpool City Region.
Such devolution thrives where leadership is consistent and visionary. Leaders like Mayors Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram have been afforded the stability to plan in decades rather than days, providing the fertile ground necessary for businesses to flourish. This kind of political continuity allows for strategic, place-based economic development that extends beyond short-term political cycles.
Hearing the Collective Business Voice
For devolution to be truly effective, the voices of businesses must be central to the dialogue. The True North Network actively facilitates this by organising events—ranging from webinars with policy leaders to intimate roundtable dinners with founders—that focus on capturing the authentic experiences of businesses. These forums explore current challenges, emerging opportunities, and practical solutions, ensuring that the perspectives of business owners shape regional economic strategies.
By connecting diverse ecosystems, True North enables leaders to share best practices and insights, shifting conversations from speculative “what ifs” to actionable “what’s next.” This collaborative approach is particularly vital for privately owned, owner-managed businesses, which typically grow faster than the national average yet remain under-recognised. Deeply rooted in their local communities, these businesses have been founded, scaled, and staffed within the North, making their success integral to regional prosperity.
Feedback from these businesses consistently points to a desire for autonomy and the freedom to operate without undue interference. Confidence wanes when they feel unheard or compelled to follow rather than lead. Without a genuine grassroots, business-first approach, there is a risk that centralisation will continue to stifle the North’s economic growth.
Embracing devolution, fostering place-based investment, and nurturing collaborative communities of purpose-driven leaders—while granting them the autonomy to deliver—can help bridge the longstanding gap between productivity and prosperity. Now is the time for northern businesses to back themselves, build collective confidence, and lead the region’s economic renaissance from the ground up.
Read more Here.
