TheCityUK National Conference 2018
Speech by the Secretary of State the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP.
Introduction
This is an important event바카라 사이트t an important time.
As we leave the European Union, we are faced with exciting choices and possibilities.
It is a moment of national renewal, where we are affirming our faith in the British people and businesses to take advantage of the opportunities our new relationship with the EU, and yes, the rest of world, will present.
And let me be clear 바카라 사이트� the deal we strike with the European Union will mean we take back control of our laws, borders and money, and it will protect our economy, security and precious union.
The theme of today바카라 사이트檚 conference 바카라 사이트� 바카라 사이트淕oing for Growth바카라 사이트� 바카라 사이트� in many ways sums up this government바카라 사이트檚 ambition for Britain 바카라 사이트� not just economically, but socially, so that all parts of our country, all communities, can thrive, with no-one left behind.
The role of the city in the 21st century economy
And cities are central to this ambition.
For millennia the city has been a unit of economic and social solidarity.
From ancient Athens and Rome, to modern day London, Beijing and New York. Throughout history, to individuals and businesses, the city simply made sense.
But it hasn바카라 사이트檛 been a story of ever upward progress, of continuing growth and expansion.
Think back to the 1970s and 80s and how cities suffered from declining populations and slowing economic growth.
As the economy has become more globalised and technology revolutionises the way we do business, the state has found new ways to support the city and in turn the last 20 years I think have seen a global renaissance in the city as a place to live and work.
바카라 사이트 has been working to give places the tools to take advantage of these opportunities.
We바카라 사이트檝e created city region mayors 바카라 사이트� with new powers to boost jobs and skills, to build homes and improve travel 바카라 사이트� and devolution deals such as the West Midlands, which will see over 拢1 billion invested over the next 30 years.
It바카라 사이트檚 also why we바카라 사이트檙e backing 26 City Deals in England and 7 across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 바카라 사이트� and are keeping up the momentum, with the recent Budget announcements regarding the 拢350 million City Deal for Belfast and 拢150 million for the Tay Cities Deal.
We have continually backed cities because the contribution they make speaks for itself.
Birmingham has the highest number of new start-ups outside London and the wider West Midlands, as a whole, is the fastest growing region in the UK for goods exports.
Leeds has seen its economy expand by just over a third during the last decade and, in 2016, saw the fastest rate of private sector jobs growth of any UK city.
And Glasgow is also booming, generating more than 拢20 billion in economic output last year.
Dealing with the challenges of success
And yet, with the growth and productivity of our cities, come new challenges borne of this success.
If we want to ensure our cities continue to grow their potential we need to evolve policy to meet these challenges.
Weak skills, low wages and stagnating productivity, for example, all speak to a world in which work needs to be much more rewarding.
When work is alienating and lacking in meaning it creates a void in the individual which is filled by frustration and disengagement.
That is why a key part of our national Industrial Strategy and local growth plans to is to help make work better for all, so that each individual can reach the full measure of their potential.
But we must ensure the right powers are held locally to ensure every place and person can forge their own destinies, address their own specific challenges and support local communities.
Since 2010 we have devolved power from Whitehall, rightfully handing it to local leaders and businesses, who have used it to improve the lives of their communities.
And we바카라 사이트檙e taking it a step further.
I바카라 사이트檓 pleased to confirm that our new devolution framework will be published shortly and with it we will begin a new conversation about our emerging neo-localist agenda.
This new strand of policy will set out a direction for devolution post Brexit.
It will support areas to collaborate to help drive greater sub-national trading activity.
And it will challenge places to harness the opportunities new technology provides and, yes, for cities in particular, show just how much smarter they can be as a result.
The new devolution framework will build on the successes of the past, helping to ensure our cities remain the drivers of national economic growth, as well as connecting our towns and villages to that story too.
As my colleague the Business Secretary Greg Clark noted when the first Industrial Strategy green paper was launched, 바카라 사이트渆conomic growth doesn바카라 사이트檛 happen in abstract, it happens in particular places.바카라 사이트�
Cities are already leading the way
Here in the Midlands this won바카라 사이트檛 be news to you; over 220,000 people are employed in the financial and related sectors.
So it바카라 사이트檚 little wonder that HSBC decided to base its UK headquarters here, in Birmingham바카라 사이트檚 Enterprise Zone 바카라 사이트� and highly fitting, too, given that the core of HSBC바카라 사이트檚 UK business goes back to the Birmingham and Midland Bank, founded in 1836.
The North, similarly, is a big draw for these sectors.
Manchester바카라 사이트檚 banking, insurance and professional services employ over 51,000 people and its financial quarter, Spinningfields, boasts Barclays, BNY Mellon and RBS alongside Deloitte and the recent arrival of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
Leeds is also proving a winner 바카라 사이트� as the home of international law firm Reed Smith바카라 사이트檚 new Global Solutions service and also Channel 4바카라 사이트檚 new national HQ.
Which all reinforces this government바카라 사이트檚 great vote of confidence in our vibrant, thriving cities 바카라 사이트� and also in the regions to which they belong.
I바카라 사이트檓 incredibly proud to represent and support these regions as Midlands Engine Champion in Cabinet to ensure they become even better places to live, work and invest.
The recent Budget reinforced that mission, with very welcome announcements on:
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拢165 million for Birmingham, to support the Commonwealth Games Athletes Village and unlock 5,000 homes as a lasting legacy,
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拢8.5 million to support Coventry when it hosts the UK City of Culture in 2021,
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and, crucially, a refreshed Midlands Engine Strategy to be published next year.
A strategy that will be grounded in strong, hard evidence about the region 바카라 사이트� underpinned by the that바카라 사이트檚 just been launched.
This will initially focus on a wide-ranging independent economic review of the Midlands.
Because we need to do more to understand the needs and ambitions of our city-regions if we바카라 사이트檙e to back them to really succeed 바카라 사이트� indeed, if we바카라 사이트檙e to back our country to succeed.
I바카라 사이트檝e seen for myself, first-hand, what that means since I was appointed to my role.
In July, here in Birmingham, I heard first-hand about the ambitious plans for Curzon Street and the new HS2 station 바카라 사이트� which will turbo-charge the region바카라 사이트檚 already great transport links and prime central location.
In August, I was in the East Midlands, at Lincoln and Loughborough Universities 바카라 사이트� just 2 of the 20 universities that make the Midlands a magnet for cutting-edge research and teaching excellence.
While I was there, I also saw how companies like Laing O바카라 사이트橰ourke are leading innovations in modular housing to help us build more homes.
And in October, I undertook my first Midlands Engine Trade Visit, accompanying Sir John [Peace] and West Midlands바카라 사이트� Mayor Andy Street, to India; travelling to Delhi and Pune and meeting key partners in the automotive and engineering industries 바카라 사이트� key sectors for both the Midlands and Maharashtra State.
A trip that was a great success, reinforcing the global reach of the brilliant products and services the Midlands offers and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead 바카라 사이트� opportunities that will see us forging new links.
Links that will see us increasingly talking about not just London-New York, but also Birmingham-Mumbai and Manchester-Hong Kong.
Because there is so much more our places can do to support their economies and transform their environments.
That is why our new devolution framework will help local areas take advantage of the opportunities leaving the European Union presents and build stronger bonds of kinship between people and communities.
I want to ensure that every area, every community, can seize the opportunities that will flow from that.
Because too many people feel like they didn바카라 사이트檛 benefit from the old arrangement and that decisions weren바카라 사이트檛 made in their interests.
This means thinking differently about how we invest; how we plan for our infrastructure, how we ensure new technology and the opportunities it brings can fit in with our cities, towns and villages.
This is why we바카라 사이트檙e developing the UK Shared Prosperity Fund 바카라 사이트� a programme of investment to tackle inequalities between communities 바카라 사이트� to take effect after Brexit.
The aim is to drive up productivity, underpinned by evidence of what works at a local level, with Local Industrial Strategies playing their part to help communities maximise the Fund바카라 사이트檚 long-term impact.
We will be consulting widely on its design shortly and I urge everyone with a stake in creating stronger, more prosperous communities to contribute.
Conclusion
Because it바카라 사이트檚 these communities 바카라 사이트� the dynamic businesses, the bold entrepreneurs, the millions of talented, hard-working people 바카라 사이트� that hold the key to our future.
Communities that when they come together 바카라 사이트� as strong, confident cities anchored into strong, confident regions 바카라 사이트� with the backing of our financial and professional services, are unbeatable 바카라 사이트� both socially and economically.
I바카라 사이트檓 delighted to be working with you to celebrate and support them, knowing that when they succeed, we all succeed.
And that, as we leave the European Union, we harness the new opportunities available to us, enhance our skill base and productivity 바카라 사이트� seize the potential.
That we approach the future with an optimistic outlook of how we will forge a new direction.
Building upon innovation, technology and, yes, the strengths of our great cities, regions and the character of the British people.
Where everyone has a stake, everyone has a role and truly create a country where no-one is left behind.