Rival newspapers across the North have today united in a front page call for action to tackle the North-South divide.

The Power Up The North collaboration between 33 regional newspapers and websites has this morning calls for a “revolution” in the way the communities they serve are treated by Westminster.

Titles run by JPIMedia, Newsquest and Reach plc across the North of England are involved in the campaign, with many splashing on it this morning.

Its launch comes one year after a similarly unified campaign, One North, was launched in a bid to improve the region’s railways.

Today’s launch, which saw #PowerUpTheNorth trending on Twitter for much of the morning, is aimed to coincide with the formal start of the Tory leadership campaign to elect a successor to Theresa May.

Nominations close in the contest at 5pm tonight and editors want to see the would-be leaders setting out what they plan to do to tackle the great divide.

Objectives of the new campaign include getting more powers devolved away from London, making funding for rail and road links in the North a national priority and getting further investment for education, affordable housing and digital infrastructure.

Less than a fortnight ago, a Manchester Evening News front page urged the government to “tear down” the wall of economic division after a new report compared the disparity between the North and London to that of East and West Germany.

An MEN editorial announcing the new campaign’s launch states: “Today, the Manchester Evening News joins forces with rival publishers across the north to call for Britain’s main political parties to commit to a revolution in the way government treats our communities.

“Our Power Up The North collaboration between 33 newspapers and websites comes exactly a year after the launch of the One North campaign in the wake of unprecedented chaos on the region’s railways. The collective voice of the north’s titles compelled the government to take immediate action on behalf of the millions of passengers who suffered travel misery.

“Now, at a time of unparalleled political uncertainty, we are calling on the main parties – and those who aspire to lead them – to spell out what they intend to do, and how they will work with others, to narrow the north-south divide.

“With nominations closing in the Tory party contest to succeed Theresa May – and with the prospect of a general election in the near future – every day of dither and delay risks leaving the north at an even greater disadvantage. The case for fundamental change is now unanswerable and our political leaders must commit to real change.”

The full list of titles involved is as follows:

Reach plc

Manchester Evening News
Liverpool Echo
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Leeds Live
Lancs Live
The Journal, Newcastle
Hull Daily Mail
The Chronicle, Newcastle
Teesside Gazette

JPIMedia

Yorkshire Post
Yorkshire Evening Post
The Star, Sheffield
Scarborough News
Harrogate Advertiser
Wakefield Express
Halifax Courier
Dewsbury Reporter series
Lancashire Post
The Gazette, Blackpool
Wigan Today, including Wigan Observer and Wigan Post

Newsquest 

Northern Echo
Bradford Telegraph & Argus
The Press, York
Craven Herald & Pioneer
Ilkley Gazette
Keighley News
Wharfedale Observer
The Mail, Barrow-in-Furness
Carlisle News & Star
Whitehaven News
Workington Times & Star
Westmorland Gazette
Hexham Courant
Cumberland News

Here is a selection of today’s front pages