The Final Straight!

Final Straight

Well, summer is over (did it ever start?), the kids are back at school, and for business owners we can now get back to the serious business of growing our companies during the last part of the year. Realistically, we all have three months to generate as much business as we can before the Christmas festivities kick in.

September-November is traditionally the busiest time for Downtown as far as events are concerned. We have a number of gala awards evenings, and a whole host of morning, afternoon and evening forums for our members to connect, and hopefully do some business.

We pride ourselves on hosting events of the highest possible quality and I would always recommend that when you can you should maximise the benefits of our events programme, but we are all getting busier by the month, and so I am using my first blog of ‘the final straight’ of 2015 to highlight an event in each of our regions that I believe are ‘must attends’ for members.

In Lancashire, we have secured Sir Howard Bernstein for our Leaders Lunch at Barton Grange on 28th September. Generally accepted as the best local authority chief executive in the country, Howard has been the architect of Manchester’s devolution deal, and he will be talking about this, the Northern Powerhouse and much more besides at what I am sure will be a fascinating discussion.

For our members in Liverpool we have the inspirational whirlwind that is Michael Finnigan hosting our next ‘Rise & Grind’ forum. The man who has been a mentor and coach to some of the best known business leaders and sporting personalities across the globe will be with us at the Richmond Hotel on the 16th September. If you don’t feel motivated, pumped up and energised at the end of a Finnigan presentation, then my advice to you is to give up on being an entrepreneur and go and work in a library instead.

Mr Deansgate himself, Nik Maguire, will be our keynote speaker at the Manchester Leaders Lunch on the 8th October at the James Martin restaurant. What Nik will talk about is anybody’s guess, but his contributions are always thought provoking, entertaining and controversial. As importantly, our Manchester lunches attract a fantastic crowd, so if you are looking to connect with some of the city’s liveliest ‘movers & shakers’ this one is for you.

Our ‘Leading of Leeds’ series has proved really popular in our Yorkshire base, and our guests this year have included council chief executive Tom Riordan, Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Roger Marsh, and the former council leader Keith Wakefield. Next up, on 26th October, we will be exploring the potential and opportunities that the recently established Leeds Business Improvement District (BID) offers with the organisations chief executive.

Last, but by no means least, we have our launch event in Birmingham at the Marco Pierre White Champagne Lounge. We will be joined by the chief executive of Birmingham City Council Mark Rogers, and the chief executive of Marketing Birmingham Neil Rami, for what I am sure will be the start of an interesting journey in the West Midlands.

A major digital conference in Preston, gala awards dinners in Liverpool, Manchester and Lancashire, plus our regular and outrageously packed out sexy networking evenings; a gathering of the clans’ night and exclusive invitation only dinners means a busy autumn for Downtown. I look forward to seeing you at several of those events. There is, quite literally, something for everyone.

Liverpool’s not there yet

Liverpool Waterfront 2013

There is a report elsewhere in today’s TFI about the united front that business organisations from across the city region have been able to sign up to in terms of support for a devolution deal for Liverpool – or ‘Devo Scouse’ as some have labelled it.

The fact that six business groups with all very different memberships, cultures, approaches and agendas were able to come together in the space of a month to reach agreement is something our political leaders may reflect upon as they continue to grapple with the question – is the prize worth the price?

The prize could include a huge package of powers, but not necessarily with an uplift in resources. Devolution is more about the notion that local leaders can get more productivity by managing existing cash more effectively, rather than the chancellor writing a big cheque. However, it may be fair to assume that the first tranche of Combined Authorities that are planned to be announced in the autumn will have one or two sweeteners to help them on their way. George Osborne will want to see some quick wins for his big idea as he gears up for his tilt at the big job.

For this reason, being part of the initial wave of devolved authorities holds some attraction, and it is the thing that is driving huge conurbations like Birmingham and the West Midlands and city regions like Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle to drive forward action plans that will meet with government approval.

The big sticking point for many though, Liverpool included, is the price. The establishment of an elected metro mayor.

I have rehearsed previously why I believe metro mayors are a force for good, including this blog here.

However, not so much the post itself, but the man who may get the job, is the main objection from a good number of local politicians in Merseyside.

So a devolution submission has been put together, ‘signed off’ and approved by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority on Wednesday. Negotiations will take place with ministers and mandarins, but agreement is far from certain.

It would be a shame if we let personalities get in the way of the fantastic opportunity that a devolution deal offers – but at this stage only a brave man would bet on Liverpool’s leaders doing the brave thing. Win the prize, pay the price, secure the what’ – and then worry about the ‘who’.

A small step for mankind – a huge one for Lancashire

Northern powerhouse

This week the government invited city and county regions to submit their devolution ‘asks’.

It is part of George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse agenda, although, post-election, councils’ from across the country are all being given the opportunity to ‘have a Manchester’ now.

For some time I have bemoaned the fact that Lancashire has been side-lined by the emphasis on cities as the principle economic drivers. As the leader of Lancashire County Council Jenifer Mein pointed out at a Downtown event last week the county region is the third biggest economy in England, and therefore needs to be seen at the heart of any powerhouse, rather than on its periphery.

The government, with some justification, could argue back and say that, unlike Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle, Lancashire had done little to progress a devolution programme itself.

However, at a meeting earlier this week the leaders from twelve districts, the two unitary authorities and Lancashire County Council came together and have devised a strategy to present to the Whitehall mandarins that at least gets the red rose county in the mix.

There will be a consultation with business organisations and other stakeholders about the type of Combined Authority Lancashire should be looking to create, and given the inevitability that a first wave of devolved organisations will go to conurbations with big city hubs, the county is unlikely to be at the vanguard of this initiative.

However, the fact that leaders are talking constructively about progressing a much more efficient, effective and co-ordinated governance structure is a credit to them, and great news for Lancashire’s future.

Osborne prepares to kill Labour – and become PM

osborne

It is a long time since a northern constituency could boast a Prime Minister. The late Harold Wilson, who represented the Merseyside constituency of Huyton, was the last northerner to hold the highest office, and he vacated number 10 back in 1976.

However, the regions wait for another PM is coming to an end, certainly if chancellor George Osborne MP for Tatton, Cheshire, has anything to do with it.

His Northern Powerhouse agenda has dominated the debate and discussion of local government and many in the media for over a year now. The powers he has ceded to Manchester, and is prepared to offer other local authorities who are able to provide proof positive that they can deliver – with a metro mayor – has won him the reputation as an innovator who wants to genuinely try new things to re-balance the UK economy.

That he has done this in partnership with (mostly) Labour council leaders is testament to his impressive negotiation skills, matched only by his ability to spin.

A whole list of announcements on spending in the north, most particularly on infrastructure projects, looks like ‘new’ money. Often it is cash that local councils’ themselves have had to find from ‘efficiencies’.

His incredible persuasiveness in convincing his former treasury colleague and coalition mate, Lib Dem Daniel Alexander, to do the tour of television and radio studios every time there was bad news to sell, whilst Osborne himself saved his brief appearances for the ‘feel good’ pronouncements should be noted too. I’m sure it is something the now former MP Alexander has reflected upon since being permitted by his constituents to spend more time with his family.

But, it is the chancellor’s activity since the election that is most impressive. Surprised though he and his next door neighbour Dave were in securing a victory, he has had the air of a man who has hit the ground running, and has a plan to get on and deliver.

His spring budget included a host of policies that will see a greater acceleration of the shrinking of the state and public sector services. He has cut taxes, and will continue to do so during the lifetime of this parliament. And he unashamedly stole Labour’s ‘Living Wage’ policy whilst he was at it.

Now he is preparing a blitzkrieg on the official opposition’s next leader. If, as is predicted, it is Jeremy Corbyn, he knows that his only problem will be weighing the votes that his party will get in the marginal constituencies across the country.

However, he is not one for complacency, George. So expect legislation around Trades Union laws; immigration; the economy and welfare throughout an autumn that will be set full of Westminster traps for the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Osborne wants to cement in voters’ minds the notion that Labour has turned into a ‘loony left’ protest group that is as out of touch with reality as Lord Sutches old ‘Raving Loony’ party.

Once this mission is accomplished, he will be quickly on to his next project. Succeeding Dave in an orderly manner and, in the nicest possible way, ‘doing in’ his closest rivals for the number one job, Teresa May and Boris.

Prime Minister Osborne? At this stage, you wouldn’t bet against him.

Lessons from across the pond

Across the Pond

The rise in unemployment for two consecutive months and the Bank of England announcement that interest rates will be increasing sooner rather than later are a couple of bits of headline news that would suggest that George Osborne’s ‘austerity drive’ may not be securing the economic miracle that the chancellor and some of his supporters claim.

Indeed, the notion that the only way out of recession was George’s way is not all together true.

Critics of the alternative economic plan, which is to spend more on public services, infrastructure and subsidised job creation, will point to some of the less impressive performances of EU nations such as France to prove their point.

They do, however, ignore the impressive economic results and growth that has been delivered with a far more expansive spending programme by the fastest growing G8 economy, the USA.

President Obama has never bought into the austerity obsession that has been the rallying call of Angela Merkel, George Osborne and Europe’s mainstream centre right.

Last year was the strongest year for jobs growth in the US since the 1990s. Businesses have created over 11 million jobs in the last five years. Since 2010 the States has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan and every other advanced economy combined. These jobs are not all in the service sector either. Indeed, manufacturing is the fastest growing sector in modern day America.

The advantage Democrats have in the USA over opponents of austerity in the UK is that firstly Labour were in charge of the national administration when the ‘crash’ hit the economy back in 2007; secondly, Labour failed to articulate a coherent or consistent argument as to why it wasn’t to blame for that crash; and third, perhaps most importantly, the centre left in the UK has never had a charismatic leadership figure to present an alternative view anyway.

As Labour prepares to elect Jeremy Corbyn as its next leader, George Osborne can sleep very comfortably at night, secure in the knowledge that he will continue to have no serious political opposition for the foreseeable future. The economy may hit a few bumps in the road, and austerity will take many more victims before his plan is done. But, politically, there is nobody the chancellor or the government need to worry about in terms of calling them on it.

Meanwhile, across the pond, centre left politics look set to continue to dominate as the Democrats, advocating the New Democrat philosophy that was first adopted by Bill Clinton in the early 1990s, are on course to take the White House once again.