🎥 New video: why does economic development have to keep justifying itself?

David Marlow and Mike Spicer always close LED Confidential by asking for a glass half full position. Here is mine.
For the first time in about 30 years, we have democratically accountable organisations at the local level with responsibility for the economy, inclusion and sustainability. The institutions are right. The enabling legislation is really good. That is something genuinely positive to build on.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. The UK government operates on a very short political cycle and has a long record of creating local and regional institutions and then destroying them. I think our new devolved institutions have perhaps ten years to prove themselves. Make big inroads in the next five, sustain these institutions over 20 or 30 years, and they will make a real difference to local and regional economic disparities.

That is why this work matters now. Decisions that professionals make in combined authorities and the new unitary authorities will shape whether communities can thrive and regenerate.

It is also why I wrote 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸. It is a practical reference guide covering the full span of the profession, from place-based economics, strategy and evidence through to enterprise, innovation, skills, inclusion, placemaking and climate transition. The capability we build in the next few years will determine whether this devolution settlement succeeds where previous ones failed.

My thanks to David and Mike for a great conversation.

Listen to the full episode of LED Confidential at https://lnkd.in/eM6z8d_C

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