RDAs for the chop?

Eric Pickles was a bit more forthright about RDAs today. Speaking at a Policy Exchange fringe event on the future of regional government, he said: "The best thing I can say about RDAs is that they haven't done any harm...Quangos are going to be restructured under a Conservative government. A bit like Anne Boleyn was restructured."

I was speaking at the same event. And so was Sheila Childerhouse - board member of the East of England RDA. She put up a brave defence of RDAs, but it's pretty clear that Eric and many other Tories have got it in for them. The main problem, according to Eric, is the "democratic deficit" around RDAs. 

James Morris (Chief Executive of Localis) - said RDAs were "the delivery arm of a centralist government agenda", had failed to reduce disparities between regions, and were basically a waste of money. I'm afraid lots of Tories agree with him. Alan Duncan is more measured, and says that some RDAs may survive. But the overall thrust of Tory policy must be quite alarming for RDAs.

Putting it kindly, Eric said last night that the future for RDAs was "not terribly rosy". He has said repeatedly this week that regions are a "terrible unit for economic development", and sub-regions would be much better. All will be revealed in the Tories' forthcoming localisation green paper....  

Comments

[Glenn]

... in contrast to Alan Duncan who has come out in favour of RDAs. The challenge for the Conservative Part is that business like RDAs, probably more than local authorities. The IoD, Chambers and other bodies have come out in support of RDAs because they are the only public body with an explicit economic and business focus, and are business led.

Surely devolution should encompass more than 0.2 per cent of the total public sector budget? The 2008 RDA budget of £2.31 billion in the context of the UK's total public sector budget of £1,365 billion

[Dermot]

Alan Duncan is definitely more measured than Eric Pickles on RDAs, but he would still shake them up. The Tory conference this week clapped loudest when speakers were having a go at quangos.

My best guess is that the Tories would allow some RDAs to continue, but not all; and the Tories would increase RDAs' focus on enterprise and business issues.

Totally agree that devolution should go beyond the (relatively marginal) RDAs. That's why we support devolved budgets for city-regions, for things like housing and transport and job training.