On Thursday we welcomed the news that the Government is giving cities greater freedom to steer their economies and fuel the “engines of economic growth” from within. Each of the eight core cities in England will have the opportunity to individually bargain over which freedoms – and responsibilities – they take on. Nick Clegg and Greg Clark have called this their challenge to cities.
But there is a challenge for government as well. If we are to make the most of the contribution of cities to the wider economy, this offer should be extended beyond the core cities. Last night this challenge was presented directly to Chloe Smith MP – Economic Secretary to the Treasury – at the launch of the Centre’s report Investing in Growth Cities.
The report looks at a group of cities in the Greater South East, from Norwich to Southampton, and explores what they can do to boost investment and drive economic growth. The potential is definitely there; these are strong economic achievers. In the decade before the recession hit they contributed 27 percent of the UK’s growth in private sector jobs. Core cities are a logical place to start, but growth potential also lies elsewhere.
Investing in Growth Cities recommends a number of things these cities can do for themselves to become growth-ready. But they also want Whitehall to loosen the shackles. We heard from the leader of Portsmouth City Council, Gerald Vernon-Jackson, that they are ready for their turn at the city-deal negotiating table. A show of hands in the room showed that other cities are joining the queue.
Chloe Smith acknowledged the role that local MPs need to take in working alongside their local government colleagues. Representing Norwich North, she has a strong local interest in how these places perform and how they work together – she wants to see them flourish and thrive. Encouragingly, given her “other” job, she also recognises that they are extremely important for the UK economy.
It seems that the cities bug is catching in government. We hope it won’t be long before Greg Clark is signing deals in Norwich, Portsmouth, Ipswich and Brighton.
Comments