28 June 2013 at 09:35
The introduction of a Liverpool Pound is being discussed and debated in the city at the moment, and I have to say I am far from convinced about the merits of such an initiative.
The fact that it appears to add zero value to the economy is bad enough, but worse I think it is a project that says Liverpool is parochial and inward looking, rather than promoting the image that we have been striving to create in recent years of a global, outward looking city.
At best the Liverpool Pound is a gimmick; at worse it amplifies the stereotypical view of the outside world of scousers.
On a practical level you would have to ask where this would leave the city region agenda – I can’t see the good folk of Wirral and St Helens being wowed by the idea; and given the entrepreneurial talents that exist in our fine city, you have to wonder how long it would be before counterfeit Liverpool notes would be circulating in the local economy.
The only positive reason I have heard for the notion is that notes with the pictures of local celebrities, the Beatles being the obvious ones, would be bought and taken home by tourists. But couldn’t a smart retail outfit do this without the complicated creation of a new currency?
It is a bad idea, and one that should be consigned to the ‘delete’ bin as soon as possible.