A better North is possible

We won’t get the benefits of devolution without a fight.

I’ve always thought that.

When the opportunity for greater powers came about, I remember arguing with naysayers in local politics. They said that it was all a con, a cover for cuts, a toothless charade.

I was convinced then as I am now that it doesn’t have to be.

But there have been two occasions where the need for a fight has been writ large.

The first was the announcement of a Northern Powerhouse conference, stuffed full of white guys going on about infrastructure and buildings.

The second was in September 2019 watching an emboldened and cavalier Boris Johnson at the Conference of the North at Magna, the industrial visitor attraction in Rotherham.?

He said, amongst many things: “On your local lines in metropolitan areas, we will give greater control over fares, service patterns, rolling stock and stations.”

I remember turning to David Taylor, deputy chair of the Lancashire LEP (and no relation, by the way) who was sat with me, and saying - “I spy a trap”.?

We both sensed Johnson handing over the power to make unpopular decisions to someone else, without the necessary support.?

David knows a thing or two about dealing with government and chiselling out a deal and a better way of delivering favourable local policy. As the co-creator of the original Preston economic model in the 1980s, he pioneered public-private partnerships.

That’s the correct response to the first challenge, the cynicism that is often bred by politics. It's something David Taylor and Louise Ellman showed was possible in Lancashire when I was growing up. Be better, work harder, be irresistible.

The response to that first drab version of the Nothern Powerhouse was the People’s Powerhouse. I’ve been a huge admirer and supporter of what Edna Robinson and Tracy Fishwick set out to do. To inspire, seek fairness and make a case for a just, better powerhouse.

Let’s not forget, that conference was also the occasion where Johnson tried to gaslight the finest journalist amongst us, Jennifer Williams of the Manchester Evening News.?

She properly rumbled the list of towns due for funding in one of the levelling up funds. One of them was Cheadle and she put it to the Prime Minister that this was purely because it was a Conservative-held marginal and there was an election on the horizon.

So we can all be a bit weary with the cynicism of it.?

The united front shown by the North’s regional press is a great initiative; to hold Westminster to account for promises made. To make all parties appreciate that the people of the North are serious about creating a better future.

But there are still grounds for optimism and for a better chance to achieve economic justice.?

Our session next week on this at the People’s Powerhouse convention is designed to get people talking.? We’ve called it, Good Growth, Better Business.?

I passionately believe that business and the pursuit of profit can be a force for good. I am not blind to the shortcomings of the capitalist system, but I’ve been speaking to enough people from investors, entrepreneurs and wealth creators who completely understand the importance of being a good custodian of the treasures of our society.

ESG is now on the agenda of businesses that would previously never have given such issues a passing glance.?

The E is on everyone’s mind because of the real threat to the planet from climate change and poor air quality. The G gets business minds focused because of legislation and regulations. The impetus for that is cultural.

It’s the S that I worry about the most. Societal challenges are often left to the government. Frankly, it’s too important. Citizens of the North can make a strong case to say, culturally, we’re not having the old way. We don’t just want levelling up and the crumbs from the table, but we want to support new industries that reward creativity and innovation and lay the foundations for an economy that is inclusive and sustainable.

As I said in a taster post last week, the people on the posters are the warm-up act. I’ll be honest, they’re a great lineup, but it’s designed to be a “think in” inspired by Tortoise Media's format; an open and civil discussion where we can disagree well, but hopefully engage in some constructive dialogue.

#economy #people #work #northernpowerhouse #peoplespowerhouse #levellingup