Banking on a new jobs plan

However, the Prime Minister does not have time on his side, even though he stressed at his premiership’s outset that his economic record would have to be judged over the lifetime of this Parliament, and would necessitate some painful decisions.

For, while it was naive to have expected an economic miracle overnight at a time when future public sector spending is being so limited, it is clear that the coalition is encountering unforeseen difficulties. Job prospects in this region are now “increasingly bleak” according to surveys published on successive days – even though Mr Cameron promised to prioritise the narrowing of the North-South divide when he visited Shipley at the end of his first month in office.

With this week’s unemployment figures likely to add to people’s anxieties as they will take account of this summer’s school-leavers, the Government has to demonstrate that it is on the front foot.

This means acknowledging the calls of entrepreneurs, such as Barry Dodd and others, for more to be done to stimulate manufacturing in these parts.

It also means the Government taking stock of the trenchant analysis outlined by John Redwood, the former Tory minister. Noting the likelihood of growth forecasts being further downgraded, he said that effective measures are required because “so much of the Government’s deficit reduction strategy is predicated on extra tax revenues from growth”.

And, while the reconfiguration of the banks will provide some greater economic stability, as Sir John Vickers outlined, this could still take up to eight years to implement. That is too long when the slowdown being experienced across Yorkshire has the potential to lead to another generation of young people, and their economic potential, being lost to the country.

As such, Mr Cameron’s international diplomacy in the Kremlin is unlikely to cut little ice with those who believe that he needs to place a far greater emphasis on domestic issues, starting with a commitment to honour the promises that he made in West Yorkshire in May 2010.