MONDAY 19 AUGUST 2019

Give the north its own budget so

it can start the desperately

needed renewal

It is vital that northern leaders have the power to deliver for the people they represent, not empty government gestures (Richard
Morgan/The Independent)

STEVE ROTHERAM

The north of England had reason to celebrate this week as the first Pacer trains

retired after more than 3 million miles and more than 30 years in service. They were

only intended to be a short-term solution with a lifespan of 20 years – and in that

time the patching up of the north’s networks, and the expectation that passengers

should just put up with whatever turns up, has been run thin.

Pacers have become symbolic of passenger and political frustration for many reasons, not least because their

Voices