Bernard Ginns: Cynicism reigns as Labour leader ducks the question

With this in mind, I asked Ed Miliband how could he persuade a sceptical business audience that the Labour Party has economic credibility.

“The argument in politics is not about whether you get the deficit down, it’s how you get the deficit down,” he replied, neatly ignoring the central thrust of my question, which was put to him during a visit to Leeds last week.

“Do you get it [down] through a strategy focused on economic growth as well as having to make cuts in public spending, or do you ignore, as I fear this Government is doing, the importance of growth?”

The first lesson of politics: denigrate your opponents whenever you get the opportunity. The Doncaster North MP went on: “Economic credibility comes from making the right judgments about growth and therefore about the deficit.

“My worry about the Government at the moment is they have not got a plan for growth and therefore they haven’t got the right plan for the deficit. “That’s the difference in politics. I don’t think the difference is about whether you care about the deficit; I care deeply about getting the deficit down, but I think we have a better idea of how to do it than they do.”

Not long after that he was off to speak to the audience of business leaders at the CBI’s annual dinner, held for the second year at Leeds University.

I caught up with a couple of businessmen outside after Mr Miliband’s speech had ended.

One said that he listened to the jokes in the first three minutes and then switched off. “All politicians today look and sound the same,” he told me. “I just switched off.”

I told them how the Leader of the Opposition had apparently ducked my question about the credibility issue with his party, bearing in mind the glaring fact that he and his colleagues were in charge in the lead up to the worst financial crisis in generations.

“He’s not programmed to answer questions like that,” said the other businessman.

n Leeds is a great city. It has great people, great businesses, great sports clubs – well done Rhinos – and a great sense of community.

So why has it proved so difficult to find a top-calibre individual to run Marketing Leeds and promote the city on the national and international stage?

In an effort to shed some light on the matter, I submitted a Freedom of Information request to Leeds City Council on September 7, asking for full disclosure under the Act of all correspondence relating to the failed process to hire a chief executive for the new Marketing Leeds organisation.

Eventually, 20 working days later on October 5, the council came back with a response.

Victoria Ashwood, the data protection and freedom of information practitioner, said: “The appointment of a chief executive for Marketing Leeds is the responsibility of the company, which is a separate organisation to the council, therefore, any request for information should be sent direct to Marketing Leeds.”

Oh, really? A cursory check of Marketing Leeds’ website reveals that James Rogers, assistant chief executive of the council, is chairman of the project to find the new chief executive for Marketing Leeds. He is one of the board members at the inward investment company.

What on earth is going on behind the scenes?

In the meantime, we have an interim head, Jean Dent, who retired with an undisclosed pension from the council last year.

An announcement on the chief executive position is expected soon.

n As Leeds continues to struggle with a general lack of leadership, Sheffield is powering ahead.

Still buoyant from last month’s triumphant MADE festival for entrepreneurs, the council is trying to land the Government’s £3bn Green Investment Bank.

Readers will know that Leeds launched a bid of its own a few weeks’ back, claiming that the ‘City Region’ is the perfect location for the bank, offering great access to talent, expertise and value for money.

Now it seems that Sheffield is promoting itself as the perfect Yorkshire location in an effort to steal Leeds’ thunder.

John Mothersole, the Sheffield chief executive, claims that Sheffield can offer “green thought leadership” and innovation, potential project sponsors such as Sheffield Forgemasters, Tata Steel and Outokumpu, a wealth of financiers and specialist advisers, a track record as a proven location for Government, a large talent pool and value for money.

Whatever you thought of Yorkshire Forward, you can’t imagine it tolerating counter bids like this.