THE Northern Powerhouse was given plenty of airtime during the election campaign, writes Jonathan Walker, North East Chamber of Commerce head of policy and campaigns.

It has prompted plenty of scepticism in this part of the world about exactly how Northern it will be.

At times it can feel like we’re in a bit of a no-man’s land when it comes to the national debate, with the future of Scotland still a hot topic and other northern regions held up as shining examples of English devolution.

This is not going to be a column that reiterates old arguments about the North-East being ignored.

In truth, we’ve got to get better at shouting about our successes and our potential.

Ongoing success in export growth and making huge strides in reducing unemployment are just two examples of things we can be proud about and which the rest of the country should be aware of.

The Chancellor’s speech last week gave us some more ideas about what this new era of devolved power for the North will look like.

Our members don’t have a definitive view on any proposed new governance structures, provided they allow for the right levels of leadership and accountability. Ultimately we need a decision to be made on these issues so that we can move from governance debates to investments.

With James Wharton’s appointment as the Government minister responsible for the Northern Powerhouse, we should be assured the North-East should at least feature in the Government’s thinking.

However, we should not be seeking a one size fits all approach to these issues.

The North-East has a unique mix of challenges and opportunities and we should be equipped with the right tools to address and maximise these at a local level.

In addition, the Government should not see devolution to local areas as a panacea for all economic issues.

Nor should it be used as an excuse to dodge difficult decisions.

We expect a holistic approach that allows and encourages all parts of the UK to contribute to growth.

Devolution is an important part of this, but our connection to national issues should not be overlooked.

This means taking the right decision on the future of hub airport expansion, recognising the importance of our relationship with the EU, and ensuring the business tax system enables companies of all sizes to prosper.

We hear positive talk from politicians all the time on these issues.

Now the dust has settled from the election, we must move from talk to action.