Ben Houchen: The Conservatives are the party of towns

The image of large swathes of the north, as a post-industrial wasteland, filled with abandoned Victorian terraces, isn’t just wrong and offensive. It’s actively dangerous.

David Skelton: From Gateshead to ‘Ghosthead’, how our towns have declined

The Conservative Party could become the natural home for the urban working class if it revived these towns, David Skelton argues in his new book.

Greg Taylor: Johnson must be bold and deliver real fiscal autonomy

A serious devolution agenda would champion freedom from the suffocating tendrils of risk-averse Whitehall mandarins.

Andrew Laird: The Prime Minister’s devolution drive will protect public services from Brexit chaos

We cannot afford to have so much at risk of bandwidth bottlenecks in Westminster and Whitehall. It’s time to kickstart decentralisation.

James Palmer: Devolving adult education is helping to give young people the skills that they need

The previously centralised direction of spending was unimaginative and bureaucratic. Funding went into leisure courses.

Mark Weston: Why the present way of directly electing mayors is working badly for Bristol

This governance model’s real flaw is a complete lack of checks and balances on executive powers. I hope in 2020 we will end it.

The local elections revisited: an analysis of results in the North East

Labour losses was the big story here. Many working class voters switched to backing independents, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats also gaining.

Rachel Wolf: Not much changes when councils change hands. And voters know it.

Good luck to every Conservative standing for election today. Let us hope that in future much more power is devolved to the roles you are competing for.

Andy Street: Cleaning up pollution of the past to build the homes of tomorrow

Fittingly, the Black Country, synonymous with the heavy industry of the Industrial Revolution, aims to take the lead in building this new science of reclamation.

WATCH: Burnham warns a second referendum “would cause lasting division…for a generation”

The Greater Manchester mayor then says he would support one if the alternative was a No Deal Brexit.

Andy Street: The West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy ensures we are the workshop of the modern world

From transport tech and data-driven healthcare, to creative enterprises and the services sector, we are forging ahead.

Andy Street: Brexit inertia is bad for business

In the West Midlands, investment decisions have been deferred. We need to be able to push ahead with new trade arrangements around the globe.

James Palmer: We need a Minister for East West Rail

We must drive this project forward. It is a vital piece of infrastructure which could allow a million new homes to be built. But we need to sort out the route.

Ben Houchen: Free Ports would allow leaving the EU to boost the most deprived regions of the UK

The new Shared Prosperity Fund, which will replace EU funding into the regions, is a great opportunity to put areas like mine back in control.

Kevin Davis: Each London borough should have its own directly elected mayor

This change would mean streamlined decision making. It would also allow greater devolution in areas such as policing and NHS primary care.