Posts Tagged ‘Liverpool’

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THE COALITIONS FIRST BIG MISTAKE

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Less than two months in and the new coalition government has made its first major mistake in the area of economic development, strategic planning and business support.

The announcement that Regional Development Agencies (RDA’s) are to be abolished and replaced by Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP’s) has largely been lost in the noise around the VAT hike, 25% cuts to public expenditure and impending tax increases. However, the collateral damage of the decision on RDA’s, motivated more by political dogma than political pragmatism, will be enormous.

It is fair to say that RDA’s across the country have had mixed reviews. But the performance of the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), and its reputation among the regions business community, is excellent. Indeed, this was confirmed by an independent report carried out by Ekosgen and Lambert Smith Hampton, published this week, that found that the NWDA’S return on overseas investment is on target to be £30 for every £1 spent by 2013. Between April 2006 and March 2009, the NWDA invested £3.5 million in overseas projects that have so far generated more than £56 million in GVA. The report goes on to suggest that the figure will be £104 million in three years when all the foreign direct investment activity has fully matured.

In the run up to the election, Conservative spokesmen consistently promised that there would be wide scale consultation before any decision was taken on the future of the NWDA. I’m afraid that is one pledge that has been broken.

The claim that this new arrangement will mean more decisions being taken at a local level does not bear much scrutiny. Many of the powers and responsibilities currently held by the NWDA; business support, Inward investment, Innovation and managing Venture Capital funds; will not be devolved to Liverpool, Manchester and Preston but, rather, centralised in the corridors of Whitehall, administered by faceless civil servants many of whom think that people up north wear cloth caps and keep whippets!

And even where responsibilities are to be transferred to LEPs, who within the business community can honestly say that we have confidence in the capacity of local authorities to think strategically, agree on policy and deliver initiatives that will help drive our economy forward?

Manchester can take great comfort in the governance structure that is the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA). It is a model that is rightly held up as a blueprint of good practice, and here we have a group of local councils and private sector partners that are comfortable in co-operating and expert in co-ordinating. Even here though, the political leadership cautioned against the abolition of the NWDA.

It is elsewhere in the region, however, that is of major concern. One would hope that the new leader of Liverpool City Council Joe Anderson, in his additional role as Leader of the Liverpool City Region Partnership, will be able to quickly pull together a strategy and framework among a group of local authorities who have found it difficult in the past to agree what day it is. The Mersey Tram scheme and the proposed Everton FC move to Kirkby are high profile projects that fell by the wayside and head a long list of public spats among the Merseyside political fraternity.

And what of Preston? At loggerheads over the Tithebarn project with neighbouring authorities; operating within a two-tier government structure and in a county that boasts more local councils than most of us care to remember . The idea that this bunch will be responsible for economic development in the future is, frankly, a frightening prospect. One can only hope that the districts will let Lancashire County Council simply get on with it, but I already hear rumours of not two but THREE LEP’s in the red rose county.

Of course we have to deal with the cards we are dealt; but this is a poor hand and one that may yet come back to bite the coalition government on the proverbial.

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THE BUSINESS CLUB WITH INFLUENCE!

Friday, June 11th, 2010

The decision of the new Labour administration at Liverpool City Council to order an independent review of its economic development activities, including the work of Liverpool Vision and The Mersey Partnership (TMP), is the latest in a series of high profile announcements that have been made at local and national government level which endorse the policy positions taken by Downtown Liverpool.

In the space of a month we have seen Liverpool’s new council leader Joe Anderson take on the role in a full time capacity, something we have advocated since 2004. We also called for a ‘Business Champion’ to be appointed to the council executive six years ago; an aspiration now met by the proposal to have a private sector representative on the city council cabinet.

On the back of our successful campaign to stop the introduction of evening car parking charges in the city centre last year, the business club with attitude is quickly establishing itself as the business club with influence.

Nationally too, with proposals for elected mayors in England’s major cities; and the coalition governments business secretary articulating the view that the Northwest Development Agency does indeed have a future, Downtown policy is being endorsed.

On the issue of Business Cabinet member, may I explain my reasons for ruling myself out of the job.

While DLIB obviously welcome this move, it would be wholly inappropriate for me to take on the role. Downtown will have a positive relationship with the council, but I believe it is essential that we should sit outside of the council’s official structures, enabling us to maintain our independence, and continue to constructively criticise when the need arises.

I am surprised that leading figures from other business organisations have not taken the same view, but that is a matter for them. Personally, I would like to see a business representative who could command respect from across the business community, and who has to run her or his own business on a day-to-day basis; and has the scars to show from running and managing a private enterprise at their own risk.

That said, I will support whoever is selected, and once again celebrate another tick in the box for Downtown’s change agenda.

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THE LEADING OF LIVERPOOL

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Labour may be licking its wounds nationally following the General Election, but at a local level it regained control of a number of local authorities, including Liverpool. During the past forty years, I think I am right in saying that Liverpool has only had the same colour council as the national government on just one occasion. Our city is truly contrary.

This time it was the affable and able Joe Anderson that turned the town hall red again, gaining a remarkable nine seats from his Liberal Democrat opponents whose leader Warren Bradley, rather bizarrely, claimed that his party had lost because too many people voted! (Well, he actually blamed the ‘high turnout’, which amounts to the same thing).

Anderson has been quick to make his mark, with high profile announcements about appointing a business representative to his cabinet; working in partnership with the private sector to sort out the city’s housing crisis and criticising Liverpool Football Club for its failure to get moving on its new stadium plan. He will get to choose his own chief executive too, with current post holder Colin Hilton announcing his plan to retire the week following the election.

No doubt Anderson would have been more comfortable with a Labour government to deal with, but he has articulated his determination to offer pragmatic, rather than confrontational, leadership, and has emphasised his preparedness to work with anyone for the good of the city. Of course, during the ‘free Michael Shields’ campaign, the Liverpool Labour leader demonstrated his no nonsense approach, and was more than happy to publicly speak out against ministers from his own government when he felt they were not doing the right thing. And, perhaps most refreshing of all, Joe Anderson will be doing the job as council leader on a full time basis, bringing our city’s leadership in line with all the other core cities of the UK.

Anderson will also have a new boss at Liverpool Vision to work with. Max Steinberg, currently the chief executive of East Lancashire regeneration company Elevate, will succeed Jim Gill in July. Steinberg, a scouser, has an impressive track record in the world of urban regeneration, and is not scared to take a risk or two and, to use David Brent speak, ‘think outside the box’.

In East Lancashire he used the services of the late, great Anthony Wilson, and his partner Yvette Livesey, to produce a new marketing strategy for East Lancashire – and Pennine Lancashire was born. Steinberg has a hard act to follow, as Jim Gill can take a good deal of credit for the renewal of Liverpool during the past decade. His appreciation of private sector needs, and his determination to adopt strategy over short term planning considerations, has been a refreshing difference to the attitude encountered among the city council planners. Gill’s input into the revamping of the waterfront was particularly important, and he was a key player in delivering the greatest physical legacy of 2008, the Echo arena and conference centre.

So a clean slate in Liverpool, just as much as in Westminster – but Joe Anderson has a majority that David Cameron can only dream of. No horse trading, no deals or coalitions. Labour has a decent majority and will be hoping to deliver an exciting and innovative agenda during its term of office.

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THE LEADERS DEBATE

Friday, April 16th, 2010

What a fabulous week it has been for the city of Manchester in terms of media profile. The first ever Leaders Debate, hosted at the Granada Studios, meant that the whole of the UK media descended on Manchester and helped cement its position as the UK’s second city.

As for the debate itself, I have to say I found it rather sterile. The format was stiff, the lack of engagement with and from the audience gave the whole affair a somewhat plastic feel and the outcome was rather predictable.

As Peter Mandelson commented afterwards, it was David Cameron’s to lose and he lost it. Such were the expectations of the Tory Leader, he really had to wipe the floor with his opponents to impress, and in truth he failed to land a punch. Gordon Brown is not known for his charisma and ability to perform in front of the television cameras, and so Labour can and will claim that he did Okay. And, inevitably, Nick Clegg was a clear winner. No pressure, no expectation and little profile before the evening, he would have had to work hard not to come out on top. He was slick and able to get away with ‘a plague on both your houses’ approach and the Liberal Democrats will be delighted today.

But, with two more debates to come, Clegg will find it more difficult as the other two start to feel the need to target him a little more seriously in the weeks ahead. I don’t think he will find it as easy as he did last night. For Team Cameron, they will be wondering whether it really was such a good idea to sign up for these debates. When their man was twenty plus points clear in the polls at the turn of the year, and it looked like he could walk on water, it was probably a no-brainer. But, with the gap in the polls narrowing by the day, the hung parliament scenario has been looking the more likely outcome – and last night has only heightened that possibility.

I’m expecting a more lively contest at the City of Manchester Stadium tomorrow, where the most important Manchester ‘derby’ in years is taking place. And how interesting that, for the first time in living memory, many Reds of the Liverpool variety are quietly praying for a United victory. A City win tomorrow would surely secure them fourth spot in the Premier League, denying their Merseyside rivals a place in next season’s Champions League. I wonder if there are any United fans who have given up on the league and, actually, wouldn’t mind their ‘noisy neighbours’ getting one over on Liverpool?

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ICONIC BRANDS HAVE TO MODERNISE TOO

Friday, March 5th, 2010

It was with sadness, if not much surprise, that I heard the news of Lewis’ closure. The legendary Liverpool department store will be closing its doors after over 100 years of trading, with the loss of around 300 jobs.

Every Scouser has a tale to tell about the grand old retail outfit. For my part, it was the first place where I visited Santa’s Grotto. Sir Paul McCartney once worked there, John Lennon is said to have met his first wife Cynthia outside Lewis’ for their first date, no doubt underneath the statue that is ‘exceedingly bare.’

The Liverpool One development, along with the soon to be constructed Central Village scheme has, of course, contributed to Lewis’ demise. However, long before the modernisation of Liverpool city centre, Lewis’ was in difficulty, and has almost closed on at least two previous occasions during the recent past.

As with traditional names such as Woolworths and Ethel Austen, Lewis’ has failed to renew and re invent itself as a relevant retail offering for the twenty first century shopper. Discussing this with Aurora Media boss Jon Egan he amusingly, though it has to be conceded accurately, compared Lewis’ to Grace Brothers, the store from sitcom ‘Are You Being Served?’

Historical? Yes. Quaint? Yes. Fit for purpose in 2010?

As with all businesses, particularly in a sector as harsh as retail, you cannot survive on reputation and past glories alone.

Maybe that is something our city’s two football clubs need to remember before dismissing so readily, if reports in the local media this week are to be believed, the idea of a shared stadia.

Neither Liverpool nor Everton have anywhere near the resources required to build a stadium on their own. Why then such vehement opposition to even exploring the possibility of a shared home?

And for all of you died in the wool Blues and Reds who say they would rather see Torres and Arteta in a Manchester City shirt than share a ground with their rivals think on this.

Figures revealed this week that Match day revenues for Manchester United are £108.8m compared to £42.5m at Liverpool. Everton will be some way below that again. It is now a combined twenty years since either Merseyside club won a major honour (Liverpool may yet win the Europa League this season, but does anyone care). There is a very real possibility that Liverpool will fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time. Everton’s hopes of any European competition next term look remote.

I repeat. As with all businesses, you cannot survive on reputation and past glories alone.

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