BUSINESS leaders have joined forces to call for complete devolution across the North of England. 

The Devo 100 letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which has been signed by business figures from across the North, says devolution is a key step the North needs to take.

Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme from YBS's Bradford base, Henri Murison, Director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: "Unless we unlock the Northern economy, even if we improve the infrastructure, we won't have the skills and talent our businesses need."

John Heaps, Chairman of YBS, is one of a hundred business backers of the call for more devolution. 

Mr Murison added: "We need to make sure that those in Bradford, who want the jobs, those talented young people - this is Britain's youngest city - have got the skills to take jobs whether they be here in organisations like this in financial services or across in Manchester or across in Leeds.

"At the moment, they don't get the support with skills because we haven't got that power here in the North to influence the skills system and they also don't have the infrastructure.

"We need both of those to happen and I think under Boris Johnson, whatever people's views about the wider Government's policies, we do have someone who having being an ex-mayor, being the Mayor of London previously, is committed to supporting that agenda."

Last month in Manchester, Mr Johnson pledged to improve transport links in towns across the country - including a new high-speed rail link between the city and Leeds.

And during a speech at the Science and Industry Museum, he promoted the idea of devolution.

He said: “Taking back control doesn’t just apply to Westminster regaining sovereignty from the EU. It means our cities and counties and towns becoming more self-governing.

“It means people taking more responsibility for their own communities. London and Manchester have boomed partly because they have had mayors – some better than others, I would say – but all with the power to speak for their cities, to bang heads together, to get things done.”

He added later in his address: “I have seen myself the changes that you can bring about in towns and cities and regions, when local people have more of a say over their own destinies.

“So we are going to give greater powers to council leaders and to communities.

“We are going to level up the powers offered to mayors so that more people can benefit from the kind of local government structures seen in London and here in Manchester.”