THE Archbishop of York has claimed Brexit could benefit the north, and called for more devolution from the south to help the economy.

Dr John Sentamu appeared before the House of Lords on Thursday to give his take on The State of the North debate, and warned that unless moves were taken to improve the economy outside of London, “the whole country will be more divided, less prosperous and more unhappy”.

Speaking to the house, he said there was no wall or barrier between the north and south of England and stated “we are one nation and I for one want to see the bonds and sympathies between all people of this land strengthened”.

He said: “In short, the whole country needs the north to flourish.

“Any plans for greater prosperity and flourishing in the north must build on that vital characteristic – the resilience of the people. Over more than 30 years, the economy of this nation has shifted from manufacturing industry to services. Successive governments have seen the City of London as the economic powerhouse. And the result has been to suck energy and resources southwards. London has become an exceptional capital city – it is an exception to the ways of life and the economic prospects of the rest of the country, especially in the north.”

Dr Sentamu referenced a report before the House which said the uncertainty following last year’s Brexit vote “could set the recovery of the north back very badly”, but even prior to the referendum the north was served poorly in comparison to the south, and said “Brexit cannot just be about more control for London”.

He said: “Our economic system is supposed to reward risk-takers. But the people who bear the greatest burden of risk these days are being rewarded with zero-hours contracts, fake self-employment and low pay.

“Much of the resilience of the north and its people stems from the long history of pride in the job that our industrial past created. We may not get the old industries back, but we do need jobs in which people can take pride, and which reward their resilience.”

The Archbishop said there were “sparks of hope for a resilient northern economy”, and northern resilience was “an asset on which the economy can build”.

He said: “We need cabinet-led figures to champion the north – people who know the qualities of the north from experience of their own. We need a more diverse economy that draws on the skills of the northern people. If Brexit prompts a shift in that direction, it may just have been worth the uncertainty.”