Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

The Rossendale and Darwen MP walked away amid Prime Minister Boris Johnson's cabinet reshuffle saying he had been offered another role in the Foreign Office but as it involved a lot of foreign travel he turned it down due to family commitments.

Simon Clarke, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland has been appointed in his place.

Mr Berry, 41, said: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to fight for the North in Westminster.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry has stepped down from the role

“For the last two and a half years I have helped move the #NorthernPowerhouse from concept to Cabinet table.

“I firmly believe that the Northern Powerhouse was the foundation stone of the blue wall that delivered a Conservative majority Government.

“I chose to leave government after being offered another role that would have required substantial amounts of foreign travel.

“I have three children under three - the youngest of whom is less than a week old. Family will always come first and I felt unable to accept the offer.”

Jake Berry with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps talking about the transport system in the North in January this year

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership, a group set up to champion the infrastructure and economic needs of the region, wished him the best for the future and thanked him for his work.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said: “Jake Berry MP has been Northern Powerhouse Minister throughout almost my whole time as director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, and I was particularly glad when he began attending Cabinet after his move to an enhanced role at the Cabinet Office last year.

"As well as acting as a champion for devolution, he spoke up for projects such as HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail at the Cabinet table, standing up for his fellow northerners – an ally to business and civic leaders who worked incredibly hard in his brief.”

Simnon Clarke said: "I am absolutely delighted that Boris Johnson has now asked me to serve as Minister of State tasked with delivering the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.

"My focus will be on working with communities across the country to support our great mayors and help create new devolution settlements for areas that don’t yet have them.

"I am massively grateful to my predecessor @JakeBerry for all his hard work in this brief."

Northern Powerhouse Minister steps down