In response to Andrew Cadman: Northern powerlessness. The answer is cultural not economic rebirth, Womankind wrote:

Spot on.
What strikes me, as a born and bred Yorkshire woman living in the South, is that spending billions on HS2 to provide a faster link between Manchester with London will not address this underlying malaise in any shape or form. It will just be seen as a scheme for Londoners to get home quicker.
Far better to invest the money in infrastructure across the north. Connect the northern cities, give The North it’s own raison d’être and a new source of pride, then you’ll have a real powerhouse.