By Paul Coles, CEO, South West Business Council
“A week is a long time in politics” is closely associated with Harold Wilson.
From his last term as prime minister until 2016, some 40-plus years, we have had seven prime ministers. From 2016 until today, we have had another seven premiers; it’s getting to be that “a year is a long time as PM!” Of course, changes in prime ministers mean changes in the cabinet and changes in the leadership of our key government departments.
None of which is helpful to continuity of policy and delivery of growth. I suspect most businesses would say that “stability of policy” is key, as since the 2008 financial crisis, business has had an awful lot to deal with. There is no doubt in my mind that this has led us to be cautious with investment.
We now have a new PM, Andy Burnham. He has been consistent as a politician and has been perhaps the most “visible” of our mayors.
The policies he has announced as PM reflect this consistency, especially around Devolution and the desire to see more regional mayors.
The Labour government has de-invested in previous regional structures: Western Gateway, Midlands Engine, Northern Powerhouse, and the Great South West all had their central government funding withdrawn. It seems very clear to me that if you want more powers and more direct funding, then the region needs to move to elected mayors.
This government’s industrial strategy refers to the South West in the way that we would typically see it: Gloucester, Wiltshire, Dorset down to the Isles of Scilly and all in between. In that area we have one mayor, and that is Helen Goodwin, Mayor for the West of England.
In other parts of the South West we have “struggled” to find a way forward to creating more mayors. It seems to me that the PM’s signals are clear; he wants “growth in every postcode”. With that in mind, I would like to see “a mayor in every South West postcode”, and it is my hope that we see an accelerated programme from our South West councils on getting the mayors we need to be in tune with the Government’s agenda.
Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire have fired the starting gun with their desire to create a “Wessex Mayor”. I hope that they are successful, and we see others follow suit.
I believe signalling an intent across the South West to have mayors will send a strong signal to the central government that we are serious and a signal to business that the South West is a place for growth.
At SWBC, we will be pressing to see that happen.
Let’s watch this space!
About Paul Coles
Paul Coles is a strategic leader and thinker, who over the last few years has built a portfolio career covering the commercial world; public and third sectors.
He has a passion for innovation and for digital which he brings to bear when seeking to advance the South West economy.
