Palavras: Frank McKenna, Downtown in Business
No lançamento da Powerhouse do Norte em 2014, o arquiteto sênior do plano do governo, o chanceler George Asborne, teve uma narrativa que estava repleta de referências a Manchester e Leeds. Havia poucas evidências de que o Liverpool, uma vez que a segunda cidade do Grande Império Britânico, era desempenhar um papel nos acordos iniciais de devolução que estavam sendo planejados e elaborados nos corredores de Whitehall. Persuadindo seis autoridades locais anteriormente desesperadas a formar uma autoridade combinada, produzindo um plano de devolução e concordando em estabelecer o cargo de prefeito eleito para a região da cidade. Navegue por algumas discussões desafiadoras com seus colegas nos bairros de Mersey. No entanto, seu partido e o deputado para Walton tinham outras idéias. Tendo conquistado a nomeação do trabalho, era inevitável que ele ganhasse a eleição subsequente em um círculo eleitoral que possui apenas um deputado conservador. liquidou suas diferenças e está continuando com seus respectivos empregos. O prefeito Joe tem quase 14 bilhões de libras em projetos de regeneração para entregar. Steve nomeou um impressionante grupo de oficiais em seu escritório de prefeito, ocupado desenvolvendo estratégias baseadas em evidências para ganhar investimentos no setor privado e apoio do governo no futuro. O ano está deixando alguns no setor privado nervoso. O tempo dirá, mas no momento, pelo menos, o vidro da cidade está desafiadoramente meio cheio.
Five years on, and whilst Leeds is still ‘negotiating’ with its Yorkshire neighbours and the government about a devolution deal that would cover the whole white rose county, Liverpool has surprised many in getting its act together, persuading six previously disengaged local authorities to form a combined authority, producing a devolution plan and agreeing to establish the post of elected mayor for the city region.
Liverpool’s elected mayor Joe Anderson was the key driver towards the city’s ‘leapfrogging’ of other northern cities, his pragmatic approach winning him friends in Westminster, his experience in Merseyside politics enabling him to navigate some challenging discussions with his colleagues in the Mersey boroughs.
That he managed to do so with relatively little aggro, left many to believe that Anderson would be anointed to the newly created position of metro mayor. However, his party and the MP for Walton had other ideas.
Steve Rotheram saw the opportunity to work in partnership with his closest political ally in the House of Commons, Andy Burnham, at a regional level as too good a chance to pass on. Having won the Labour nomination it was inevitable that he would win the subsequent election in a constituency that has just one Conservative MP.
It is hardly a secret, or in truth a surprise, that the relationship between two former comrades Anderson and Rotheram, was not as warm as it had been previously in the immediate aftermath of the metro mayor election.
However, in recent months, both men appear to have settled their differences and are getting on with their respective jobs. Mayor Joe has almost £14 billion of regeneration projects to deliver. Steve has appointed an impressive group of officers in his mayoral office that is busy developing evidence-based strategies to win private sector investment and government backing in the future.
If there has been a more optimistic time in the city region, I can’t remember it.
However, the rumblings of a Momentum takeover that may result in a Corbynista group take over Wirral Council in May and see a challenge to Anderson in Liverpool next year is making some in the private sector nervous.
Has Liverpool turned the corner onto powerhouse progress – or will its old- style politics return to see it head into a cul-de-sac? Time will tell, but at the moment at least, the city’s glass is defiantly half-full.
