Lancashire will be seen as a second -rate player, and be side-lined from the opportunities emanating from the government’s Northern Powerhouse agenda if it’s political leaders don’t get their act together in 2018.
That is the warning from the chief executive of Downtown Lancashire in Business Frank McKenna.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s ‘Devo Lancs’ Downtown lunch with Blackpool leader Simon Blackburn, Mr McKenna said:
“It is clear that where city regions have been ambitious, negotiated devolution deals with government, and gone for elected-mayors, benefits, both in terms of financial resource and profile, have followed.
“How long can business in Lancashire sit back and watch Andy Burnham in Manchester and Steve Rotheram in Liverpool offer genuine leadership around investment, economic development, and business support, whilst the county has no key figurehead to match?
“It is not good enough for some of Lancashire’s leaders to say that they don’t like the devolution model the government is offering. They must, at the very least, come up with an alternative.”
The first in a series of Downtown events exploring Devolution in Lancashire takes place on Tuesday 18th January at Cotton Court, Preston. For details, please CLICK HERE.
