"Manchester will be a very different place in three years".
Three years? What's going to happen in that time scale?
Northern cities have to take account of the fact it is a huge opportunity and it is a huge risk, as it will take people both north and south but we are sure that, as the region develops, we will be able to pull people north, rather than them going south."
"pull people north, rather than them going south" - history would suggest that it's not a great bet...