March 9: Scarborough’s game-changer, £1bn windfall from university

This is set to be a game-changer, comparable to the arrival of Siemens in Hull, that has the potential to transform the financial fortunes of an area which remains over-dependent on the tourism industry.

Scarborough’s picture postcard imagery, renowned around the world, also masks above-average levels of social deprivation which continues – in an addition to an ageing population – to be a significant drain on the welfare system.

Yet, while the arrival of a new university will see visitor numbers boosted by the family and friends of students who choose to stay in the area for a long weekend, it is the local economy which is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of Coventry University’s enlightened decision to invest in a town which, like many other seaside resorts, has been living in the past for too long.

Its presence – and the flexibility offered over the length of degree courses – should help to inspire young people growing up in East Yorkshire to become more aspirational and to enhance their qualifications.

The advent of the university, which is set to cater for in excess of 5,000 students and employ at least 300 people, also gives businesses a reason to invest in Scarborough and the surrounding area. For, if they know that there is a pool of young people graduating with the requisite skills now sought by employers, the East Coast suddenly becomes more attractive as an investment proposition.

As such, the onus is now on Scarborough’s students to make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity being afforded to them. They should seize the moment.

Defence dilemma

ALONGSIDE the country’s economic well-being, the most important job facing a prime minister is Britain’s national security. It is why the first briefing received by a newly-elected premier, moments after they have walked triumphantly through the door of 10 Downing Street, is a sobering one because it pertains to the defence of the realm, not least the top secret codes which will activate the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons in the event of a global catastrophe.

Yet, while the election’s outcome will inevitably revolve around the economy, this should not be at the expense of those difficult decisions looming on defence spending. Labour appears to be backtracking on its support for Trident’s renewal, not least because of the opposition of the increasingly influential Scottish Nationalists, while the Conservatives – the traditional party of the Armed Forces – are now on the brink of reneging upon David Cameron’s commitment to Nato to spend two per cent of GDP on defence.

In many respects, Mr Cameron’s position is an invidious one. With British forces now withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the public finances stretched to the limit, it is difficult to justify current expenditure levels if Britain’s hard-pressed schools and hospitals are denied of resources.

Yet, on the day the Royal United Services Institute warns that the Armed Forces could lose another 30,000 personnel, it would be ill-advised for Mr Cameron – or Ed Miliband for that matter – not to maintain spending at the prescribed two per cent. For, if Britain was to retreat from its responsibilities as a global power, it will play into the hands of those countries like Russia – and terrorist networks like the so-called Islamic State – who do now pose such a serious threat to world peace.

York’s global glory

THE Roman city of York has always been regarded as a world-leading visitor destination, not least because of its imposing Minster.

Yet it is to York’s eternal credit that short-break tourists have named the great city as the safest in the world according to a new travel survey.

Not only is this testament to the city’s hospitality and desire of residents to make visitors feel welcome, but it is also a tribute to all those responsible for policing in York. They should all be incredibly proud of this accolade – the challenge is maintaining this hard-earned status and reminding police chiefs that regular street patrols, and the reassurance that such officers provide to those tourists unfamiliar with the area, are as important as solving crime.