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Leading Yorkshire figures have spelt out how Rishi Sunak can help the region before he unveils his first Budget as Chancellor. Rob Parsons and Geraldine Scott report.

As Rishi Sunak prepares to deliver his first Budget as Chancellor - a position he perhaps did not expect to be in so soon - experts from across the region have given their view on what key sectors will want to see from the announcement on Wednesday.

With coronavirus dominating Government business, the Treasury is expected to be restrained in its spending in order to ensure there are enough pennies in the coffers to react to the illness if necessary.

But newly-gained constituencies, especially those in the former so-called ‘red wall’, will be looking for investment in infrastructure, research and development, and a realisation of the Government’s favourite buzzword of “levelling up” to prove voters made the right choice in abandoning often long-held allegiances last December.

Experts from across Yorkshire give their view ahead of the Budget.

But with the National Infrastructure Strategy to invest £100bn in boosting the economy and tackling the climate crisis expected to be delayed until after the announcement, this may not happen as quickly as hoped.

Here is what experts across the region want to see.

Sarah Longlands - IPPR North

"From a northern perspective, it is pleasing that we have a Chancellor who, for once, can appreciate something of the unique economic and social challenges and opportunities of areas like Yorkshire.

"Let’s hope that he uses some of this knowledge to make an impression on the Government’s pledge to ‘level up’.

"Unfortunately for many Yorkshire residents, the only levelling up they’ve experienced in recent times is the rising tide of floodwater. And we know from our research at IPPR North’s that as a country we spend more money on cleaning up after floods than preventing them in the first place.

"There is no point building a Northern Powerhouse if large parts of it are under water.

"So Rishi Sunak has an opportunity to invest proportionately in infrastructure for flood prevention in the short and medium term. But the impacts of climate change like flooding, are only going to get worse so he should also be committing to investment in the technology and innovation that will help the UK and the North in particular, to lead the world in creating a cleaner

Chancellor urged to invest for the North to realise its true potential