Mel Cheung-Turner’s Post

This is exciting news for our region. The message from Number 10 was simple - More autonomy = more prosperity. There was a clear commitment for more powers to be handed down from Whitehall to our communities in the LCR. It’s clear that our region thrives when local leaders make decisions. Since 2017, Steve Rotheram has driven significant positive change and progress across all our communities. Let’s reflect on what’s been achieved via Liverpool City Region Combined Authority so far: 🚆 Transport Revolution: Spearheaded the introduction of new, state-of-the-art trains on the Merseyrail network, enhancing the commuter experience and improving connectivity across the region. 🏗️ Economic Growth: Successfully attracted substantial investment, creating thousands of jobs and supporting local businesses. His leadership in establishing the £75 million Business Growth Package has been instrumental in fostering economic resilience and innovation. 🌳 Green Initiatives: Launched the Green Investment Fund to combat climate change and promote sustainable development. His vision has paved the way for cleaner air, greener spaces, and a commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. 🏠 Affordable Housing: Delivered on promises to increase affordable housing, ensuring more families have access to quality homes. The Brownfield Land Fund has unlocked land for the construction of over 5,000 homes, addressing critical housing shortages. 🎓 Skills and Education: Championed the £54 million Adult Education Budget, providing thousands of residents with opportunities for skills development and lifelong learning. His initiatives have opened doors for many to secure better jobs and brighter futures. 📈Inclusive Growth: Advocated for social justice and inclusivity, ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared widely. His Inclusive Growth Plan focuses on reducing inequalities and building a fairer society for all. Steve’s tenure as Metro Mayor has been marked by visionary leadership and tangible results. He’s proven that our region has the ability to shape its own legacy outside of Whitehall. With more powers being handed down from Whitehall, it’s vital that we ensure that our business communities voice is heard loud and clear as we shape a new future for our region. We have a real opportunity for change and I’m so excited to see what happens next! #Leadership #LiverpoolCityRegion #SustainableGrowth #Devolution #InclusiveEconomy

Ahead of next week’s election, London Property Alliance is calling on the next Mayor of London to utilise their powers over planning, economic development and transport to bolster central London’s potential for growth and drive employment.   On behalf of #WPA and #CPA members, the Alliance is calling on the next Mayor to:   🏢 Introduce a new flexible approach to planning in central London 🚆Secure long-term funding for TfL  🏗 Address infrastructure funding challenges  🔬 Ensure London fulfils its potential as a science superpower   The Alliance’s Chief Executive Charles Begley said: “This Mayoral Election comes at a critical moment as we need to jumpstart the economy and ensure London retains its position as a leading global city amid fierce competition to attract world-class businesses and talent.” Read the full Mayoral Manifesto here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eGudGcqP

The Mayoral runners in the West Midlands are in their starting blocks. So this morning’s Business Commission West Midlands Mayoral Debate was effectively the starting gun for this year’s election race. Great to inform this first debate with the ‘Roadmap for business growth’, the final report from the commission. Ably delivered by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, the Black Country Chamber of Commerce and the C&W Chamber of Commerce and its partners, this report is focused on five levers: 1)    International trade 2)    AI & digitization 3)    Transition to net zero 4)    Innovation 5)    FDI and inward investment Full report below: https://lnkd.in/e6i8jmi4 A few even handed takeaways from the debate between Andy Street and Richard Parker without taking any sides… ➡️Employment land – a big factor impacting inward investment, production and growth as outlined by the report. Good to see an understanding of its importance from both candidates and a recognition that it’s an issue which must be overcome to attract major businesses and provide space for homegrown companies that are growing. The first time I think in a WM metro mayoral debate this has been addressed. ➡️Economy – for Street the region’s economy has been impacted by Covid, energy prices, inflation and Brexit. For Parker the levels of productivity in Birmingham trail national figures which are already poor. He talked about a new industrial strategy for the West Midlands to support manufacturers and attract inward investment. ➡️Transport – an acceptance of its critical importance for growth and productivity. But perhaps unsurprisingly differing views between candidates. Parker’s view is that West Midland’s transport is underfunded and passenger journeys are challenging and unpredictable. Street felt this assessment is incorrect and levels of funding while having once been incredibly low are now high with benefits being delivered.     Good to see two mayoral candidates get into their stride.  But despite my reference to starting blocks, it’s a marathon and not a sprint.  #westmidlands #mayoralelection  

Join the Kanda team at Labour Party Conference next week! Full details of our panel discussion below

Letter: England’s metro mayors — give them more powers From John W Mullins, Associate Professor of Management Practice, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, London Business School Metro mayors do seem to be working (“England’s promising experiment with metro mayors”, FT View, April 9) and while it may yet be premature to “double down” on the experiment in its present form as the editorial suggests, mayors such as Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester) and Andy Street (West Midlands) have successfully blazed a trail in terms of their personal success, and promotion of their roles as catalysts for innovation and investment. Other mayors have been similarly effective, such as Steve Rotheram who has backed a 5G broadband network for the Liverpool City region. If there is a weakness in the UK’s present approach then perhaps it does not go far enough. The strong executive power of US city mayors means that they are able to address the economic paralysis and failure that federal government sometimes fails to address. Greater powers for these mayors would add considerable force to the government’s pledge to “extend, deepen and simplify” devolution to England’s cities. John W Mullins Associate Professor of Management Practice, Marketing and Entrepreneurship London Business School #enterpriseculture #economics #citymayors https://lnkd.in/eDpdYXFx

I'm proud to be from Liverpool. It's a city with a long and complex history. In recent decades, Liverpool has become known for being a political outsider. There's many reasons for this; from Hillsborough, the Toxteth riots and Thatcher's 'managed decline' of the city, to banning The Sun, becoming a cultural capital of Europe and a Labour (often left-wing) stronghold. Liverpool has been shaped - for better or for worse - by many different government policies. It's a great city, but a poor city, made worse by the UK's programme of austerity that started in 2010. Since then, Liverpool City Council has had a 35% reduction in funding. As of this year, life expectancy is dropping, nearly 1 in 3 children live in relative poverty, and there has been an eleven fold increase in homeless households in temporary accommodation since 2010. In this fantastic piece of journalism from Liam Thorp, the impact of 14 years of Conservative policy and austerity is laid bare, putting communities and people at the heart of what that looks like. It's sobering, anger-inducing and at times, upsetting. But it's also an essential read as we head towards the general election on 4th July. In Liverpool, and in communities across the UK, we need to see bold action from the next government to give people a chance again. We, as a country, can't afford for it to get worse than this. Some more on Liverpool if you're interested: 📉 On the city's 'managed decline' and impact of Thatcher's urban policy on Liverpool, check out The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) blog: https://lnkd.in/e4SvcbWu 🗞 Liverpool vs The Sun - How the City Rid Itself of the UK's Biggest Paper: https://lnkd.in/eptX_UNG 📽 What is the Hollywood of the North - 10 blockbusters filmed in Liverpool: https://lnkd.in/eC5Qugr7 https://lnkd.in/ejWiruae #Liverpool #Austerity #GeneralElection

BREAKING: Today’s City Council unanimous vote to approve amendments to Local Law 63 of 2011 (LL63) signifies a significant step forward in enhancing New York City procurement. These adjustments aim to safeguard City employees, bolster minority and women-owned businesses (M/WBEs) and streamline procurement procedures. Key changes to the law include increasing the review threshold from $200,000 to $1,000,000; requiring additional evidence that certain service contracts will not displace City workers; and impressively reducing the notice period for unplanned contract actions from 60 days to just 10 days, which will contribute to a substantial reduction in procurement time. These exciting changes will improve transparency in support of protecting our workforce while providing improvements to the procurement process that will speed up the time to obtain critical services and support minority and women-owned businesses. Creating a more efficient, transparent and equitable procurement system is crucial for the continuous development and well-being of New York City. MOCS upholds its commitment to level the playing field for all businesses, promoting inclusivity and economic diversity. https://lnkd.in/ddTpnqS5 #BreakingNews #NewYorkCity #Vote #SmallBusiness #MWBE #Procurement #Reform

“London's economy remains robust despite challenges" - just one of the important conclusions shared by Tony Halmos at the launch of the "A new settlement for London" report, kindly hosted by Savills and supported by Lowick. Lowick's Kevin McKeever chaired an insightful discussion about the future of London with Labour's Rachel Blake and Dr Jack Brown of King's College London. Rachel shared her passion for ending the housing crisis (the number one issue that brought her into politics) and to address the social and economic issues that come with it. “We don't level up the country by levelling London down” was a clear argument presented by Dr Jack Brown, as we look to grow the economy in the capital and the benefits this brings for the rest of the country. One of the key challenges holding back London's productivity is clearly explaining to communities about the benefits of development near them. Clear and effective communication with hard to reach groups is critical. If you would like to discuss the future of London and how to engage with its politicians and communities get in touch with us: tomorrow@lowickgroup.com #london #politics #policy

Mayor London Breed gave a status update at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce to rally those members to remake the city’s image as a hospitable place to do business. Real estate sources have said #AI companies are currently seeking some 800,000 square feet of office space in the market. If the sector keeps growing at its current pace, real estate firm JLL has forecasted demand for office space in #SanFrancisco to reach around 14 million square feet by 2030. On the public-safety front, Breed said there have been 502 arrests for drug possessions and sales this year compared with 273 last year and highlighted partnerships with state and federal law enforcement agencies. The City’s business community aims to help change the negative narrative around San Francisco by capitalizing on opportunities like the upcoming APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade summit in November, when the city plays host to 21 heads of state, 1,200 CEOs and thousands of delegates worldwide. 🗞️: https://ow.ly/caqu50PCaXr | The San Francisco Standard 🧐 Read the Roadmap to San Francisco's Future six-month update here: https://ow.ly/Z8ZC50PCaXs

The City of Melbourne economy has recovered remarkably strongly, but it still faces a number of challenges. To help guide the next phase of the city's economic development, Council has established a new City Economy Advisory Committee, bringing together some of the finest minds from business and industry. The following experts are volunteering their time to help guide the city's economy: Dr. Jaye Chin-Dusting, Owner, Mary Martin Bookshop Hakim Halim, Founder of Ripe Cheese   Aiman Hamdouna, CEO of Hatch Quarter   George Karabatsos, AsheMorgan. Head of Retail & Mixed Use Investments, CEO of District Docklands  Arabella Richards, Dexus. Centre General Manager at QV Melbourne   Rebecca Scott, OAM Scott, Co-founder and CEO of STREAT   Jason Tabarias, Founding Partner at Mandala   Jo van Zeeland, Head of Communications, NAB Paul Waterson, CEO of Australian Venue Co., Councillor Roshena Campbell will be Chair of the committee, with Councillor Kevin Louey and Councillor Jason Chang have been appointed as additional members.  #economicdevelopment #economicrecovery #economicgrowth