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Mandelson warns Labour has failed on north strategy

Lord Mandelson has blasted Labour for failing to have a strategy to decentralise power from London to northern England.

The former business secretary accused his party of having "language, not policies" on the issue and described the lack of an alternative to Chancellor George Osborne's "Northern Powerhouse" a "huge political mistake".

Lord Mandelson issued a warn over Labour's lack of alternative to the 'Northern Powerhouse'. Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA Wire

Peter Mandelson told the BBC's Sunday Politics North West programme, "We were not radical enough in what we were proposing to decentralise and to devolve away from London and to the regions."

Lord Mandelson said of Osborne, "He got an idea, whatever his motive was, and he is running with it and we let him do so and that was a huge political mistake.