After the referendum – planning for change.
| 25 August, 2016 | Filled under Previous Events |
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Join the Liverpool Salon to debate the future of the northern economy.
Liverpool Central Library
Meeting Room 2, William Brown Street, L3 8EW
Saturday 5 November, 2.30 – 4.30pm
Here in the North much has been made of plans to devolve power to local authorities and appoint metro mayors for big city areas such as Greater Manchester and Merseyside to build a future ‘northern powerhouse’. Yet, many remain sceptical about the potential, let alone the will, to initiate ambitious projects that could turn the economy around. After years spent ‘kicking the can down the road’, could Brexit be forcing the question of industrial planning back onto the agenda? Theresa May’s appointment of a secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, suggests the government may be taking the economy seriously. But if Brexit provided the political wake up call, what should those plans look like and who will drive them?
While Project Fear has been accused of exaggerating the long-term economic impacts of breaking with the EU, early indications – from the fall in sterling to the potential loss of EU investment in Britain’s universities and research institutes – suggest that some of the short-term impacts may be painful. But with economic output already weak, borrowing high and productivity and wages on the slide, the British economy has been in trouble for decades, with some of the most visible areas of decline concentrated in northern towns. Behind the rhetoric of building a new industrial revolution, the powerhouse economy has delivered very little beyond the beginnings of a property boom, limited cultural regeneration, and a boost to Manchester’s financial services and ‘creative industries’ sectors. Meanwhile, many new industries and ambitious infrastructure projects with the potential to revolutionise the UK economy – from fracking, nuclear power and biotech to new runways and high-speed trains – continue to face considerable resistance. If the powerhouse is running out of steam, can the North come up with a ‘modern, active industrial policy’ that is capable of providing the jobs, houses and public services that people need?
Speakers
Hilary Salt is a Founder of First Actuarial LLP where she runs the Manchester office and has Board responsibility for HR and Quality issues. She provides actuarial and consultancy advice to pension scheme trustees and employers and works extensively with trade unions where she assists in collective bargaining situations and advises on the pension schemes run by trade unions themselves. Hilary also provides policy advice to a number of organisations. She has recently been re-appointed as the independent adviser to the governance arrangements of the NHS Pension Scheme, a position she previously held for 10 years. She has written a number of published articles, is a regular speaker at conferences and a member of the Council of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. Hilary has two sons (now both at university) and a season ticket to Old Trafford.
Rob Killick is the founder and director of the digital agency Clerkswell and also the software company EasySharePoint. He is a writer and speaker in his spare time and the author of the economy blog The UK after the recession.
Laird Ryan is an urbanist and editor of OpenDemocracy’s LocalismWatch site, aimed at making sense of the government’s localism agenda. A town planner, whose CV includes roles in government, academia and the third sector, Laird acted as chief advisor to Stoke’s Elected Mayor, leading a ‘Green Papers’ initiative, enabling the wider community to engage with public policy at an earlier stage and higher level. He then brought together key organisations in the West Midlands and North West to deliver accords on social and economic wellbeing. Laird currently designs distance-learning modules for University College of Estate Management, Reading; is a qualified ESOL teacher; and Vice-Chair of a Liverpool-based environmental charity.
Pauline Hadaway has worked in arts and education in the UK and Ireland since 1990 and is co-founder of The Liverpool Salon, a new forum for public debate on Merseyside. Pauline is undertaking a professional doctorate at the University of Manchester’s Institute of Cultural Practices, researching different uses of cultural heritage as a tool for economic regeneration in Northern Ireland and Britain. Pauline has been published widely including: ‘Policing the Public Gaze’ (2009), published by The Manifesto Club; ‘Re-imagining Titanic, re-imaging Belfast’, in ‘Relaunching Titanic: Memory and Marketing in the ‘Post Conflict City’ (2013) and ‘Escaping the Panopticon’. in Photography Reframed (2017).
