TOTALLY FRANK

IT’S TIME TO STAND ON OUR OWN TWO FEET
After relying on European Objective One handouts for fourteen years, the Liverpool City region has improved socially and economically to such an extent that the powers that be have decided that Merseyside is no longer in need of further EU subsidy and grants.

Surely a cause for celebration? Well, not according to senior Liverpool City Councillor Flo Clucas, who has condemned the decision.

Now, either Liverpool is in renaissance and has significantly progressed in recent years to stand, head held high, alongside UK cities such as Leeds, Glasgow and Birmingham. Or, our city leaders have duped us!

How can we truly expect potential investors to have confidence in Liverpool, if we haven’t got confidence in ourselves?

It is time for Liverpool to stand on its own two feet. And time for the public sector to allow the private sector to have a much greater influence over the future of the city’s economic performance. It may be hard to let go of the Euro gravy train. But for some of our local politicians, it will be even harder for them to let go of the nannying role that they may well have had to play in the past - but which has no place in modern Liverpool.

TIME TO DELIVER SUGGESTED CHANGES
One thing that would certainly accelerate that process would be the implementation of recommendations urged by DLIB, and supported in the reports of the entrepreneurial commission and the city growth strategy. Namely a reduction in the number of agencies that govern our city. Despite massive support from all quarters for our call for a culling of quango’s across the city, little action appears to have been taken.

Some people who participated in the government-sponsored reports have suggested that their recommendations have more chance of being implemented because they have worked with the city council. Well, I’ll watch with interest, and hope they are right. If not though, do you think those particular individuals will get off the fence and join DLIB? Or will they simply become part of the problem?

AND BY THE WAY...
Active campaigning and constructive criticism can effect change. Our vigorous efforts to oppose the introduction of the city planner’s barmy ‘tall buildings’ policy have been rewarded. See the news section in this bulletin for further details.