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Business leader tells mayor to walk away from combined authority

A business leader has called on the mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, to walk away from the proposed Combined Authority that would see the city working more formally with Wirral, St Helens, Sefton, Knowsley and Halton.

The chief executive of leading private sector lobby group Downtown Liverpool in Business, Frank McKenna, a long time advocate of a Combined Authority model, says that the suggested name for the new organisation is a joke that makes the city region a laughing stock.

Mr McKenna said: “The suggested name is the Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority – what an absolute farce.

“Council leaders in the boroughs are trying to blame the government for this nonsense, but my understanding is that there has been private lobbying from at least two of the six councils, which has led to this botched name.

“The reality is that if our leading politicians cannot even agree on a name, then how can we have any confidence in them dealing with and co-operating on the major strategic and economic challenges that the Liverpool city region faces?

“Rather than wasting his time in a glorified talking shop, which this proposed new body threatens to be, Joe Anderson would be better forgetting about trying to placate the luddites who are holding the city region back, and focus on driving forward the economy of the economic engine of our region – Liverpool.

Mr McKenna added: “It is almost beyond comprehension that serious local politicians do not recognise that Liverpool is the only attack brand, nationally and internationally, that exists in this part of the world. Equally, given that we have an established Liverpool branded Local Enterprise Partnership and marketing agency covering the whole region, why haven’t we been able to sign off on ’The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority?

“I would urge Mayor Anderson to walk away from this farce. Perhaps the best way forward would be a smaller combined authority that consisted of those councils who are serious about economic development and the future, rather than always being dragged into ridiculous debates about issues that should have been left in the last century.

He concluded: “Any council leader who believes that this is a positive step forward ought to be thrown in a padded cell and the key thrown away. They are holding the whole city region up to ridicule and the business community is fed up with their shenanigans.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Dan Minchin .