Northern Revival or political spin? The Liverpool Salon discusses new hopes of Power, Place and Belonging in the old Red Wall.

Northern Revival: Power, Place and Belonging

Join the Liverpool Salon, with Jonny Ball, Sebastian Moore and Nina Power, to talk about the ongoing shift of political and economic power to the North. Will Andy Burnham's vision for Manchesterism deliver a northern revival? Or are Britain's structural problems simply too great? Should we expect a much-needed rebalancing of wealth and power or an elaborate branding exercise?

The collapse of industry in the North did more than destroy jobs, it also hollowed out many of the workplaces, political institutions and social spaces that gave people pride, identity and a sense of belonging. With political attention now turning northward, through devolution, the growing prominence of Manchester and the establishment of No 10 North, the Liverpool Salon probes some of the tensions behind the promise of a northern revival.

Beyond the North/South divide, have the great metropolitan centres of Manchester and Liverpool grown too far apart from the towns and left-behind communities of the old industrial heartlands? Can devolution rebuild political agency and old solidarities, or is it simply a technocratic response to deeper political problems? And does the emphasis on regional identity strengthen or weaken people's sense of belonging to a wider national community?

And what does a northern identity look like in the 21st century? Can northern pride be rebuilt without looking backwards to a golden age of heavy industry, community solidarity, earthy northern humor and self-reliance?

Speakers

Jonny Ball is a Liverpool based political thinker, journalist, and contributing editor at UnHerd (https://unherd.com/). Alongside his work for UnHerd, he is an associate editor for the New Statesman's policy supplement, Spotlight (https://www.newstatesman.com/author/jonny-ball), writing extensively on regional economies, devolution, localism, and green industrial policy.

Sebastian Moore is the Northwest chair of the Social Democratic Party. Based in Manchester, Sebastian co-hosts Take Me Home, (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sebastian-moore5/episodes/51--Burnhams-Speech-and-Triple-Lock-e3pqeij) with Hilary Salt, a podcast that offers a social-democratic alternative for the politically homeless.

Nina Power is a philosopher and critic. She is the author of What Do Men Want? (https://verdur.in/store/what-do-men-want-by-nina-power/) (2021), Platforms (https://verdur.in/store/platforms-by-nina-power/), (2020), and One Dimensional Woman (2009). Nina writes for The Telegraph, The Spectator, and many others. She has taught at multiple institutions including Roehampton University, Morley College, and the Mary Ward Centre.

The Liverpool Salon is a forum for debate on Merseyside. Co-founded by Pauline Hadaway in 2014, the Liverpool Salon hosts thought-provoking conversations around contemporary issues in welcoming and convivial surroundings. Speakers are invited to share their knowledge, perspectives and passion for topics under discussion in the service of lively debate. All welcome.

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