We out a bold proposal for a new transport card that unites buses, trams, inter-city coaches and rail across the North of England into a single, best-value fare system. A pan-Northern “tap-and-go” card can unlock higher productivity, reduce regional inequalities, and reflect the public’s strong appetite for deeper cooperation between Northern cities. Designed to align with major infrastructure upgrades and support a future Northern Olympic and Paralympic bid, the North Card is presented as practical, visible infrastructure that connects the region’s cities, towns and villages while underpinning long-term good growth.

Read our polices for fairer fixes to Plan 2 student loans, targeted towards low- and middle-income earners.

By Jade Azim, Head of Policy and Advocacy at The Good Growth Foundation

‘BeeHere: An Action Plan for Good Growth in Greater Manchester’ is the first in The Good Growth Foundation's new series of essays exploring good growth outside the South East.

Read the economic impact analysis for our report ‘Take Back Control’ here.

A year-long Employer National Insurance Contribution (NIC) holiday for firms that bring people receiving long-term sickness or disability benefits into full-time work could save the Government £1.1 billion per year.

Business confidence in growth and profits is resolutely strong, according to a new GGF poll of more than 1,000 UK firms of all sizes and regions, across 15 key sectors.

The Good Growth Foundation tested attitudes towards various policies aimed at reducing the number of people out of work or economically inactive, finding that the British public strongly supports a more generous welfare system over a more punitive one.

New polling from The Good Growth Foundation has found that Brits consistently rank Europe as more important to the UK than the US, following the election of Donald Trump as president.