Granada Brexit

Britain has formally given the EU notification that it intends to leave the bloc.

Sir Tim Barrow, British ambassador to the EU, handed the written letter to European Council president Donald Tusk on Wednesday.

The minute the letter was accepted, the notification to leave was triggered.

Britain now has two years to negotiate an agreement with the 27 remaining EU countries over its future relationship with the bloc.

Andrew Percy, the Minister for The Northern Powerhouse, says Brexit can be a good thing for industry in the North West.

The MP was speaking at the conference for the Northern Powerhouse in Manchester.

He said local industries now need to look further away from Europe for business opportunities.

There are calls for the North West to unite and ensure its voice is heard during the Brexit negotiations.

The region's local authorities are being urged to form a single team who will campaign to represent our needs when the UK meets Europe at the negotiating table.

Think-tank IPPR North says the region lacks a coherent, united voice - unlike London and Scotland.

The claim is supported by Leigh MP Andy Burnham, the prospective Labour candidate for mayor of Greater Manchester, who is calling for the north to have "a seat at the table".

Angela Eagle has confirmed she has put in the paperwork to begin her bid to challenge and replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.

Speaking outside her home in London, she told reporters she was "very much looking forward" to launching her campaign later today.

• Abbott: Eagle is the 'Empire Strikes Back' candidate

Ed Balls has told Peston on Sunday that Angela Eagle's leadership bid is "essential" as Jeremy Corbyn "can't do the job".

The former shadow chancellor said no one believed Corbyn could ever become prime minister.

"Frankly there is no message at all coming from Labour in the last two weeks about what the solutions to these big problems are," he told Robert Peston.

"There's got to be a change. It's not just necessary for Labour, I think it's necessary for the whole country.

"We need a strong opposition which believes it can form the next government and I'm afraid nobody thinks Jeremy Corbyn is going to be the prime minister of our country."

We know that the Brexit vote has some caused instability in the UK and global economy.

But what could it all mean for the North West property market?

Before the referendum, one of the scary figures issued by the Treasury was that house prices in our region would fall 18 per cent in the next two years.

Our correspondent Matt O'Donoghue went to find the story behind the stats: