The Northern Agenda: Is Boris Johnson at the races?

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Here is today's Northern Agenda:

By DAN O'DONOGHUE - June 17 2022

Doncaster's not just the best small city to invest in Europe but the best place in the country to see a polar bear and hear the phrase 'how much', joked local Tory MP Nick Fletcher this morning.

Speaking at Doncaster Racecourse, the Don Valley 'red wall' MP was welcoming politicians, activists and business leaders to the conference organised by the Northern Research Group made up of the region's Conservative backbenchers.

But will Boris Johnson be speaking this afternoon at the event, set up to develop policies to move on the PM's Levelling Up agenda and help Northern Tories cement their 2019 General Election gains?

His appearance in a major speaking slot this afternoon was widely reported in advance but overnight Downing Street briefed journalists he wouldn't be attending.

Organisers were privately confident he'd turn up but a no-show would be a damaging blow to his relationship with an increasingly influential strand of his party.

You can watch the event live here , including Northern Agenda Editor Rob Parsons chairing a debate on devolution. The gathering of Tory MPs - including Bishop Auckland 's Dehenna Davison, who revealed this month she had no confidence in Boris Johnson - and activists with business and political leaders comes amid fears Mr Johnson's 'levelling up' promises have yet to materialise in the face of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

In his own speech this afternoon, NRG chairman and Lancashire MP