A leap of faith

Though the respected Smith Institute, an independent political think-tank, falls short of calling for the fledgling LEPs in Yorkshire’s key cities, and elsewhere, to be scrapped, its concerns do not inspire confidence – particularly the assertion that “it requires a large leap of imagination” to see them narrow the North-South divide.

Intended to fill the vacuum created by the abolition of regional development agencies like Yorkshire Forward, this region’s LEPs include some impressive business leaders who are passionate about their county and the need to stimulate new investment opportunities and growth.

They are also driven by the view that the North has been this country’s “poor relation” for too long and the need for the Government to provide a viable framework for the future. Yet, while it is regrettable that David Cameron chose not to transform the RDAs into leaner and more effective organisations, certainly in the North, it is too late to reverse this, hence the need to ensure the LEPs hit the ground running with the very limited resources at their disposal.

However this will not happen unless they have clear clarity of purpose and how they will fit into the evolving network of city-regions and directly-elected mayors that are at the core of the coalition’s regional policy. And, irrespective of the public finances, Mr Osborne cannot ignore these concerns in his Budget.