mo4ch:>New 'east-west divide' splitting north start-up economy

New 'east-west divide' splitting north start-up economyNew 'east-west divide' splitting north start-up economy28 February 2020 Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage captionWhile western areas including Manchester are thriving, regions east of the Pennines are lagging behind, the study saysAn "east-west divide" has opened up in the number of start-ups created across the north of England, research reveals.Data suggests a larger number of start-up firms are thriving on the west side of the Pennines, with significantly fewer to the east.This runs contrary to the government's Northern Powerhouse ambition to "level up" the North, the study said.The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said it remains "committed to the Northern Powerhouse".The Enterprise Research Centre (ERC) said its findings strengthened the case for better east-west rail links, and challenged the government to do more to help foster "best practice" f…