If there’s one thing everyone – politicians, business leaders, economists – seems to agree on it’s that the UK economy has a productivity problem. According to the OECD, Britain’s productivity rate, measured as GDP per hour worked, lags peer economies including Australia, France, the Netherlands, Germany and the US.

Here in the North West, it’s possible to adopt some cautious optimism. Experts at EY predict that Manchester – undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of the region’s economy – will be the fastest-growing city outside London and the South East over the next three years. And much of that growth will be powered by sectors with high rates of productivity, like tech and life sciences.

Nevertheless, it remains the case that........

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