Simon Clarke, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has replaced Jake Berry who yesterday resigned from his role as Northern Powerhouse Minister.
Mr Clarke has taken over as minister of state at the ministry of housing, communities and local government, and will have responsibility for leading devolution and “levelling-up and the North”.
Earlier this week, the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps set out his vision for the future of transport in the north of England at the Transport for the North summit in Manchester.
Clarke, the MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, was previously exchequer secretary to the treasury.
Speaking through social media platform Twitter, Mr Clarke said:
“I am absolutely delighted that Boris Johnson has now asked me to serve as Minister of State tasked with delivering the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. The Northern Powerhouse is my home. Its battles are those I know so well through my role as a proud Teessider.
“My focus will be on working with communities across the country to support our great Mayors and help create new devolution settlements for areas that don’t yet have them. We have a huge task ahead to deliver an era of urban regeneration and strong regional growth.
“Levelling up is a central task of this Government, and I am massively grateful to my predecessor @JakeBerry for all his hard work in this brief. Jake believes in this agenda passionately and has given it huge momentum and leadership
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