Free our regions to thrive

摘要

Have you noticed, over the past few months, a certain pattern to government announcements? It started on 13 June when Birmingham, Derby, Doncaster and Manchester were shortlisted as locations for the new National College for High Speed Rail, Skills and Enterprise. On 23 June the chancellor and prime minister popped up to Manchester to talk excitedly about HS3, linking our northern cities. On 3 July it was the turn of Glasgow, with £1.3bn suddenly available to invest in infrastructure, and on 7 July there was another £1bn for Leeds. On 21 July Birmingham was announced as the new headquarters for HS2. Meanwhile, the Labour Party, on 1 July, issued a report (Mending the Fractured State) by Lord Adonis suggesting greater devolution of powers to cities and regions.