Business leaders, local authority chiefs, Mayors and MPs gathered for a reception at the House of Commons on Thursday January 22 to hear latest updates from the Growing Together Alliance.
A key area of focus for the Growing Together Alliance has been championing more effective place based economic strategies to boost regional productivity, delivered through a greater level of engagement between Central Government and regional bodies to develop policies for good growth.
Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee welcomed guests to the reception which was sponsored by Deloitte and set the scene.
She reiterated the Government’s number one priority is growth and stated that if all the regions, the northeast and Wales, were to grow at the same rate as London and the greater southeast, then we would be looking at a growth rate, which would bust all the targets the government has set itself.
Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership led the discussion that followed and the panel members included Rob Bridge, CEO, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA), Harriet Fear, Chair, Cambridge Ahead and Richard Bray, Managing Partner, Regions, Deloitte UK.
The big message of the day was that regional growth is not a zero-sum game — progress in one part of the country should reinforce, not compete with, success elsewhere.
It was also encouraging to hear clear recognition that driving growth in the regions is essential to national prosperity, and that better connection of innovation, skills, infrastructure and investment across the UK will be critical to delivery.
Summarising the discussion, Kirsty Newman, UK Market Chair, Deloitte, said when outlining the strategy for effective outcome across our regions, we need:
- Connected people (skills)
- Connected places
- Connected capital
- Connected leaders
- Connected cultures
Richard Bray, Managing Partner, Regions, Deloitte UK, said: “At Deloitte, through our UK-wide presence we recognise the talent, expertise and potential that exists throughout the country, and we’ve seen the power and impact of meaningful private and public sector collaboration.
“Interconnected and inclusive growth is essential to unlocking the UK’s full economic capability. We can achieve this through effective place-based networks, communities, and plans, drawing on the unique strengths, opportunities, and identities of individual cities and regions to boost collective growth. The Growing Together Alliance brings together key voices that will drive forward this ambition.”
The Growing Together Alliance brings together seven of the country’s leading business organisations:
Advanced Oxford
BusinessLDN
Business South
Business West
Cambridge Ahead
The Northern Powerhouse Partnership
North West Business Leadership Team
Together we are united by a shared belief that the UK can only succeed if all its regions grow together.
Our mission is to drive good growth through collaboration – strengthening connections between cities and regions, sharing insights from business and academia, and supporting government at every level to deliver place-based economic strategies.
The UK’s productivity challenge cannot be solved from Whitehall alone. Real, sustainable growth will come from empowering local economies, tackling barriers like poor connectivity and underinvestment in innovation, and harnessing each region’s unique strengths.
To keep up to date with the Growing Together Alliance follow us on LinkedIn.
View event gallery here.
