Labour pledge to bring back Minister for the South West
The Labour Party has revealed plans to appoint a new Minister for the South West to support regional growth, if elected in 2015.
The plans revealed earlier today in a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) by Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, Michael Dugher, could see ministers appointed in each of nine regions.
A previous system of regional ministers was established in 2007 but was scrapped when the coalition government came to power in the appointment of new ministers after arguments that the positions lacked real power.
Michael Dugher said: “Our belief is that regional growth demands sub-regional initiatives, co-ordinated and driven forward at regional level.
“Labour is pledging to introduce Regional Ministers to put the voice of the English regions at the heart of Labour decision-making. They will help to shape policy around local and regional interests with a view to correcting the regional inequalities that have arisen under the Tories.
“Regional Ministers would not be a replica of what came before, but rather would be complementary to our agenda to devolve more power to city-regions.
“Regional Ministers would bring together central government, business and local authorities, advise Ministers on the impact of government policy in the regions and promote inward investment.”
The news follows on from an announcement from Ed Milliband this morning on plans to devolve economic powers to local authorities which could see the amount of money the government gives to “town and city-regions” double to £4 billion a year.
In letters sent today to council leaders, universities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) Mr Milliband and Ed Balls set out labour’s plans for devolution of powers to the regions.
Under the plans, city and county region authorities and LEPs will receive new powers including the ability to directly invest in infrastructure such as transport and housing and have greater control over skills budgets such as through apprenticeships.
In return city and county region authorities and LEPs will work to co-produce, agree and finically back an economic plan “clearly focused on the creation of well paid jobs” and to reduce “any productivity gap between the city or county region and top performing regions of the UK, so that those jobs can be supported.”
Regions will also have to strengthen political governance and economic decision taking through Combined Authorities or Economic Prosperity Boards.
Mr Miliband said: “Devolving power from Whitehall to our towns and cities is essential to generate the new jobs we need.
“We propose a new bargain:Cities and towns that come together with local businesses will be given historic new powers over transport, housing, skills and economic development.
“We are determined to make our great cities and towns the powerhouses for the creation of good jobs.
“Rebuilding the middle class, helping businesses succeed, And our towns and cities will have greater control over the funding of skills, including with local businesses having a direct say in the funding of apprenticeships for the first time.
“They will be able to deliver the Work Programme, with city- and county-regions able to use their local knowledge to help get people back to work.
“And towns and cities will be given clear incentives too: by being able to share in the proceeds of growth in their area.”
