Northern leaders laugh as Levelling-Up Minister skips conference and sends wrong video

The Levelling-Up Minister prompted laughter from northern leaders after she skipped a major conference - and sent them a bizarre video by mistake.

Tory Dehenna Davison was scheduled to join speakers including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham at the Great Northern Conference in Manchester.

But when organisers revealed the 29-year-old couldn't make the event, a short video was played instead showing Ms Davison talking about a recent appearance in the Commons.

The video - in which the Minister described taking MPs' questions on their bids for Levelling Up Fund cash - didn't mention the North of England at all.

It was met with confusion and laughter from the dozens of business and political leaders, who'd been expecting to hear Ms Davison talk about the future of the North.

Mr Burnham asked: "Was that the right video?"

It later emerged the wrong video had been sent. Later at the conference, organised by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, the right video was played where she spoke about her passion for the levelling up agenda introduced by Boris Johnson.

• Sign up for Reach's Northern Agenda newsletter here - a digest of stories that matter from outside the Westminster bubble.

Andy Burnham asked: "Was that the right video?" (Manchester Evening News)

A furious Tory complained the incident was “excruciating” while Conservatives worry about losing Red Wall seats - including Ms Davison’s in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

They told the Mirror: “It confirms many colleagues’ worst fears about making the self proclaimed tiktok Tory an actual minister.”

At the same event, Tory Transport Secretary Mark Harper also sent a prerecorded video message after missing the event at the University Academy 92 campus.

His department said he couldn't make it because of a vote in the Commons.

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves had to pull out of the event through illness but a keynote speech was delivered in person on her behalf by Shadow Chief Treasury Secretary Pat McFadden.

It's not the first time a senior Tory has skipped a major conference to discuss levelling up in the North.

This summer, Boris Johnson incurred the wrath of Tory backbenchers when he failed to turn up to an event in Doncaster organised by the Northern Research Group and instead went to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.