The Politics of Northernness: An investigation into the framing and politicisation of the North of England

This thesis examines the place of the North of England within contemporary political debate. It focuses primarily on the period 2010-2021. It seeks to understand the affects that politics actors’ perceptions of the North have on the contemporary politics of the region. Drawing on the academic literature, documentary analysis of the grey literature, and seventy-three primary elite interviews with Northern political actors, the study explores the ways in which the North and issues that impact the region are framed in political discourse, the ways in which and the extent to which these frames are politicised and highlights how this affects policy debates and political action. In doing so, it considers themes including the identity of Northernness, ideas of a socio-economic North-South divide, the electoral politics of the North, and policy initiatives such as the Northern Powerhouse agenda, levelling up, and devolution.

The thesis argues that the North is unique in its political saliency as a region in England. Yet, it finds that while frames based upon ideas of Northern distinction are invoked by actors from different walks of politics and society, all across the political spectrum, currently they are not commonly politicised explicitly at the national level. In fact, it suggests that the extent to which the North is centred in the national discourse has arguably waned in recent years due to the changing political context. Nevertheless, it highlights that at the local and regional level, the North does often continue to be politicised as a whole, but it notes that local and sub-regional attachments within the North remain strong, and there are few distinct and institutionalised pan-Northern political initiatives.

Given this, the thesis argues that while the North of England is a uniquely important and recognisable region, and one which holds some political pull, its place, sandwiched as it were, between broader national considerations, and sub-Northern local considerations, means there are limits to the extent to which the North can be politicised in a far reaching and widely embraced politics of Northernness.