Business leaders, local authority chiefs, Mayors and MPs gathered at a reception in the House of Commons on Thursday 22 January to hear the latest updates from the Growing Together Alliance.
The reception brought together senior voices from across the UK to discuss how more effective place-based economic strategies can help boost regional productivity and support national growth. A key area of focus for the Growing Together Alliance has been championing stronger engagement between central government and regional bodies to develop policies that deliver good growth.
The event was opened by Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee, who welcomed guests and set the scene. The reception was sponsored by Deloitte.
Dame Chi reiterated that growth is the Government’s number one priority and noted that if all regions, including the north east and Wales, were to grow at the same rate as London and the greater south east, the resulting growth rate would exceed all current government targets.
A shared commitment to regional growth
The discussion that followed was led by Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. Panel members included Rob Bridge, Chief Executive of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, Harriet Fear, Chair of Cambridge Ahead, and Richard Bray, Managing Partner, Regions at Deloitte UK.
A central 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.
There was also clear recognition that driving growth in the regions is essential to national prosperity, and that better connection between innovation, skills, infrastructure and investment across the UK will be critical to delivery.
Connecting people, places and capital
Summarising the discussion, Kirsty Newman, UK Market Chair at Deloitte, outlined the key ingredients needed to deliver effective outcomes across regions:
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Connected people, through skills
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Connected places
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Connected capital
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Connected leaders
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Connected cultures
Richard Bray added:
“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.”
About the Growing Together Alliance
The Growing Together Alliance brings together seven of the UK’s leading business organisations:
Together, the Alliance is united by a shared belief that the UK can only succeed if all its regions grow together.
Its mission is to drive good growth through collaboration by strengthening connections between cities and regions, sharing insights from business and academia, and supporting government at every level to deliver effective 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 such as poor connectivity and underinvestment in innovation, and harnessing each region’s unique strengths.
To keep up to date with the Growing Together Alliance, follow the Alliance on LinkedIn.
