Northern Powerhouse ‘can’t afford to be piecemeal’
3rd February, 2015
THE head of one of the North's leading law firms has warned that the Northern Powerhouse agenda needs to encompass the whole of the North if it is to succeed.
Jamie Martin, managing partner of Ward Hadaway, which has offices in Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle, says that measures to boost the North’s businesses and help close the economic gap with the South must consider the whole of the region and not focus on one particular area or sector.
He made his comments as the build-up continues to the Yorkshire Fastest 50, the annual run-down of the fastest growing privately owned companies in Yorkshire which Ward Hadaway sponsors and organises in association with The Yorkshire Post.
Jamie Martin, managing partner at Ward Hadaway.
Jamie said: “As a Northern law firm for national business with offices in Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle we are fortunate to work with talented, determined businesses right across the North every day.
“We see at first hand the abilities and ambition of companies in Yorkshire, the North West and the North East and so have long called for more joined-up thinking and focus on harnessing and developing such businesses and the communities from which they are drawn.
“In that respect, it has been very welcome to hear politicians from all parties starting to embrace the idea of increased investment and devolved powers to boost the North and realise its enormous potential.
“But whilst the adoption of the Northern Powerhouse agenda is to be applauded, I fear that there is a danger that this agenda may start to be narrowed and the ambitions it represents curtailed.
“For instance, whilst it has been very welcome for Greater Manchester to have secured a £1bn package of investment and devolved powers from Whitehall, a similar deal for West Yorkshire has still not materialised, despite being promised towards the end of last year.”
Last week Deputy Prime Minister and Sheffield Hallam MP Nick Clegg blamed the “clammy hand of the Treasury” for the delay in delivering the West Yorkshire devolution package.
Leeds City Council leader Tom Riordan said the delay was causing “cross-party frustration” and was “a gaping hole in the Northern Powerhouse strategy”.
Jamie Martin said: “Whilst there may be perfectly good reasons for the delay, it does create a suspicion that Whitehall does not share the North’s enthusiasm for devolved powers and spending.
“Even when the West Yorkshire package does materialise, there is a danger that politicians may think it is ‘job done’ for the Northern Powerhouse when it is actually only the start of the process.
“For example, no equivalent devolved package has yet been agreed to cover the North East which contributes so much to the North’s economy, not least by virtue of being the only net exporting region in the country.
“Awarding devolution packages one by one to smaller areas may fail to produce a coherent pan-Northern plan which really makes the most of the many different talents right across the region.
“Whilst each area of the North has its own priorities and issues to deal with, I believe we are much stronger when we work together.
“The £15bn One North plan is a terrific example of this with agreement from business leaders and local authorities in Yorkshire, the North East and the North West for a 16-year programme to boost transport and connectivity across the North.
“I believe it is thinking and acting like this which will do most to realise the goals encapsulated in the Northern Powerhouse agenda.
“The Government has already been criticised by the Commons Public Accounts Committee for what it described as a ‘piecemeal’ approach to rail investment, particularly on the HS2 project, and for failing to properly take into account the needs of all areas of the country when putting together its plans. We must hope this does not happen with the Northern Powerhouse.”
The recent Centre for Cities report flagged up the continuing – and in some cases, widening – economic gap between the North and the South with 12 jobs created in Southern cities for every one job created elsewhere in the country.
Of the ten towns and cities in Yorkshire examined by the report, four saw no net change in the number of jobs over the last ten years and six experienced a net loss.
Jamie Martin said: “These surveys do point to the continuing difference between the North and the South and flag up why the Northern Powerhouse agenda is so important.
“However, it would be wrong to paint an overly depressing picture of the economy across the North and in Yorkshire – indeed one of the reasons why we started the Yorkshire Fastest 50 in 2011 was to highlight success and spread a positive message about Yorkshire business.
“This is exactly what the Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards do and why we are looking forward to hosting them next month.”
The Yorkshire Fastest 50 2015 Awards take place at Aspire Leeds on Friday 20 March when awards will be given to the fastest growing small, medium-sized and large businesses in Yorkshire with one of those winners going on to be crowned the overall fastest growing business.
* Find more about the Fastest 50 Awards.
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