North-south divide is far from being resigned to history

A 'northern powerhouse' plan is a welcome step but it will need to be repeated in other parts of the UK, and to be far bolder, to redress a historical imbalance dating back to the 19th century

It would seem that the UK is finally pulling clear from the longest recession on historical record, the duration of which significantly exceeded even that of the Great Depression of the early 1930s. Maintaining a healthy rate of economic growth over the coming years will be a major task for the future government of whatever political hue, particularly given the prospect of continued fiscal austerity and the uncertainty surrounding the state of the European economy, and the global economy more generally.

When the coalition assumed office in 2010, it argued national recovery should be based, among other things, on a much-needed spatial rebalancing of the economy. The prime minister, the chancellor and the business secretary all recognised that the economy had become too dependent on London and the south-east, and that "such a narrow foundation for growth is fundamentally unstable and wasteful" (David Cameron speech, 28 May).