| Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have boasted much in recent days about unemployment falling to its lowest level since 1974, with vacancies outstripping the number of people in the jobs market for the first time. While the supposed 'jobs miracle' may be true in parts of the country, across the North the picture isn't as positive. According to the Local Government Association there are areas of Greater Manchester where five people are chasing every job, while in Newcastle that figure is higher - with six going for every vacancy. The analysis found that coastal and post-industrial areas were hardest hit by lower labour market participation and fewer vacancies, while the southern half of the country was more likely to have higher participation and high vacancies.  The number of people chasing every vacancy region by region. Graphic by Lisa Walsh
In Bradford, where there are almost four people competing for every available role, residents told YorkshireLive how much they were struggling to find work. Ann-Marie Mountain, 43, used to be a care assistant, but had to give up her job two years ago to look after her dad. She is now desperate to return to the industry, but said: "Those jobs are really hard to come by. "You get quite a lot of people applying for the same job and if you haven't got the right qualifications and somebody else has, they will probably get it. "Bradford is not one of the most popular places where you can get jobs. There are a lot of people trying to get jobs in Bradford and we're really, really struggling." The city council's leader Susan Hinchcliffe put the blame at Mr Johnson's door, she said: "Our transport links aren't as good as they should be, so for our young people to get to other cities in the north, or in fact for businesses to get to Bradford, is more challenging than other places. That is why Northern Powerhouse Rail was so important for us." A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: "Our brilliant DWP Work Coaches are matching jobseekers to local vacancies in growing sectors and supporting people – at any age and any career stage – to seize that next opportunity, get into work and progress." 
North Yorkshire passes no confidence vote in asylum plan  Asylum seekers will be housed at the former RAF base
The first act of North Yorkshire's newly formed county council has been to pass a vote of no confidence in the Home Office's plan to transform a former RAF base into a centre for 1,500 male asylum seekers. The Tory led council rebuked the Government over its plans to move the non-detained young single males from different parts of the world to Linton on Ouse, an isolated rural village north of York. In an agreed statement, the county council said: "This council has no confidence in the Home Office in relation to action being undertaken in Linton on Ouse with regard to the resettlement of asylum seekers due to the lack of consultation of local communities and stakeholders." The vote came after Boris Johnson ducked calls to pause the scheme at prime minister's questions yesterday. Council leader Stuart Parsons said the no confidence vote would send very strong messages both to the government and to communities that had been left fearful due to a lack of communication and information about how the centre would be managed. He said: "Our most important function is to support our local residents and at the moment what is being proposed for those communities is not supporting them. I'm not criticising individuals, just the cack-handed way that this has been handled."
Keir Starmer to meet northern mayors in Leeds  Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer
Leeds is the centre of the political universe for Labour today, with leader Sir Keir Starmer in the city for his first in-person meeting with his party's Northern metro mayors. After a private meeting with West Yorkshire's Tracy Brabin, South Yorkshire's Oliver Coppard, Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham, North of Tyne's Jamie Driscoll and Liverpool City Region's Steve Rotheram they were due to gather for a photoshoot at a local park and ride site. Meanwhile this afternoon, city MP and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tell a major real estate conference that her party's plan to grow the economy would bring jobs and prosperity to all parts of the country. Speaking at the Royal Armouries Museum as part of the three day conference hosted by the UK's Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), Ms Reeves will stress the central role of business in regional growth and opportunity. And she will say that a partnership between government and business lies at the heart of Labour's plan for growing the economy, with Leeds and the North a crucial and driving part of creating that vision. But what are the barriers to successful development in the North? That's the question Northern Agenda Editor Rob Parsons will be discussing on the Newsroom stage at UKREiiF at 1.30pm with a panel including Leeds City Council leader James Lewis and Lisa Littlefair, City Director at Mott MacDonald. Gap between North East and London 'comparable to East and West Germany before wall fell'  Checkpoint Charlie
The relative gap between the North East and London in terms of productivity per capita is comparable to "between East and West Germany" prior to reunification, a Conservative MP has said. Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake spoke about the importance of levelling up and getting the private sector to invest in the "less-well off parts of the country". He told the Commons: "In terms of where we need to go in terms of levelling up, which is of interest to me particularly because I represent the North, I am from the North and for the North, making sure we level up properly and make sure the opportunities are spread nationwide equally. "It is a huge undertaking. The relative gap between between the North East and London, the South East, in terms of productivity per capita, in relative terms, is as wide as it was between East and West Germany prior to reunification. "That's 30 years and 2 trillion dollars to narrow that gap. This is the long haul. It's the right thing to do. But it's a long haul." He added: "We need to get the private sector to invest. That was a lesson from East Germany to get the private sector to invest."
Fishermen hold protest over mass marine deaths on Teesside coast  Fishing protest (Image: Teesside Live)
Fishermen and conservationists across Teesside were this morning protesting near a dredging spoil site they believe is killing marine life and causing dead crustaceans to wash up on the region's beaches. Boats from Redcar, Hartlepool, Whitby and Scarborough sailed to South Gare near the mouth of the River Tees displaying banners and flags in protest at the decimation of their livelihoods caused by the mass die-off of lobsters and crabs since last October. An official government investigation concluded an algal bloom was mostly likely to blame for the strange occurrence but the fishermen reject this theory. Instead, they believe the blame lies with unearthing of historical toxins caused by dredging on the river. Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen insists no dredging work has been carried out for work at the 4,500 acre Teesworks site, which is now the country's biggest low-tax freeport, and this week pledged to 'get to the bottom once and for all' of the worrying crustacean deaths. In a show of solidarity to the fishermen, people representing organisations including Surfers Against Sewage, Ocean Rebellion, British Divers Marine Life Rescue as well as concerned members of the public attended at South Gare today. Follow TeessideLive's coverage of the protest here. Joe Redfern, co- founder of Whitby Lobster Hatchery, said: "It is deeply concerning. The catch rates have dropped , there is no life in the rock pools, there are dead and dying marine animals washing up and in our pots. We are facing a huge ecological disaster. Defra must reopen the case and take it very seriously."
Scrutiny at Liverpool City Hall 'not fit for purpose'  Change is needed at Liverpool City Council
Scrutiny of decisions at Liverpool Council is "unsustainable" and risks issues "falling through the cracks", a report by the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) has found. The findings of the CfGS come in the aftermath of last year's Best Value inspection report that found weaknesses in Liverpool Council's governance. As a result, then Secretary of State Robert Jenrick issued the authority with directions in June 2021 to sharpen up its performance within 12 months. In consultation with the government appointed commissioners, the CfGS was commissioned to undertake a root and branch review with a view to making recommendations to enable Liverpool Council to deliver Mr Jenrick's instructions. The findings from Ed Hammond, a national lead on scrutiny and governance matters, have proven to be pretty damning for the council. Mr Hammond said "scrutiny spreads itself thinly at Liverpool. "The current situation is unsustainable, and a lack of overall focus means that there is a real risk that issues fall between the cracks", he said. Mr Hammond's report, conducted last December, identified that by trying to look in detail at most things in the local area "the scrutiny function ends up looking at nothing adequately, because limits of member time and officer resourcing makes members' aspirations impossible to deliver." The report came as councillors grilled the Liverpool's leaders about who was to blame for the authority being hit with £16 million in energy costs. 
Sign up to The Northern Agenda Has a friend forwarded you this edition of The Northern Agenda? You can sign up to receive the latest email newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by clicking on this link.  Northern Stories  The vision for Stockport interchange
-
A new 'walkable neighbourhood' boasting up to 1,200 homes is being planned for land next to Stockport's famous viaduct. Dubbed 'Stockport 8', early plans for the eight-acre site also include new shops, offices and a leisure space. The plot also sits next to the new Stockport transport Interchange – work on which got under way in March – and Grade II-listed Weir Mill, which is subject to an ongoing £60m restoration project. Greater Manchester Metro Mayor Andy Burnham said: "This new site offers an exceptional opportunity to be part of one of the leading regeneration projects right now, not only in Greater Manchester but across the UK." -
The impact of HS2 on Cheshire West and Chester will come under the microscope at a meeting today, with local councillors being urged to back plans to petition the government over the controversial scheme. The council is concerned about the effects on the borough's landscape, communities and businesses. It said the process of petitioning – which would include hiring a QC, Parliamentary agent and other external experts to help prepare evidence – would give it a 'seat at the table' to push for things such as commitments on jobs and economic benefits for local people. -
Passengers will once more be able to hop aboard a historic Blackpool tram after the vintage vehicle was lovingly restored. Tram 143 is now set to join the resort's famous heritage fleet for the summer season after successfully completing a test run along the Promenade. Tram 143 was originally built in the late 1920s, but the engine caught fire in 1980 and destroyed much of the wooden cabin. It has been restored after coming into the ownership of the Lancashire Transport Trust which had a new top deck made, and has worked with Blackpool Transport on the restoration project. -
Residents in Barrow are debating whether to mount wind turbines to lampposts to combat climate change. The area's citizens' jury saw said it was 'excited' by the potential of wind power in Barrow and that wind turbines could be placed atop lampposts along routes such as the A590 in order to harness the energy generated by traffic. It also suggested the narrative around climate change needed changing – with a shift from telling people about the 'doom-laden crisis' towards 'sharing optimistic examples about the positive benefits of taking action to tackle climate change, such as wellbeing and biodiverse green spaces'. 
Thank you for reading - If you have been forwarded this email and would like to sign up, you can do that right here. Contact us: You can get in touch via email - rob.parsons@reachplc.com - or via our Twitter page. 
| 
