North West views: Quilter Cheviot’s Simon Walker on the Northern Powerhouse

With the government’s vision of creating a Northern Powerhouse commanding the attention of the North West business community, at Bdaily we’re now rounding off an ongoing series of interviews that established just what the region’s business leaders think of the plans.

Is the North West set for an overhaul in the coming years – one to turn the region into a true example of economic empowerment through business growth, job creation and prosperity?

Today we caught up with Simon Walker, the head of investment management firm Quilter Cheviot’s Liverpool office.

What does the Northern Powerhouse mean to you?

Essentially the linking of component towns and cities across the North to create something which is stronger and more successful together.

By being united, the North can use the complementary strengths of each individual city for the benefit of the whole region.

Are there signs of the Northern Powerhouse starting to bear fruit in the region?

It has certainly brought focus to Liverpool and the City Region, as well as the rest of the North, and helped to move Liverpool towards a combined authority.

However, there is still much work to be done to ensure this attention is turned into tangible results.

Has the government done enough to convince you of its commitment to Osborne’s vision?

Clearly there has been a demonstration of commitment to Manchester, as we saw in Osborne’s budget.

The infrastructure spend to fulfil the vision is significant but the evidence of progress is less compelling.

We need to keep things in perspective and continue to monitor progress, especially in those areas where significant investment is required.

Transport improvement is intrinsic to the Northern Powerhouse. Do you believe that spending billions on infrastructure will improve Northern productivity?

Good communications are at the heart of successful economies. However, we need to remember that this includes data driven connections as well as physical connections.

Ensuring that we invest in digital infrastructure in the region will be an important part of achieving the overall Northern Powerhouse project.

Are there any other areas which you believe money should be spent on, ahead of transport?

Aside from the previously mentioned digital infrastructure, we must ensure that the key cities in the region have solid systems in place to support inward investment.

The North is placing itself on the world stage to attract significant investment, so we need to make sure these inward investment structures are world class.

While Manchester is a key city in the government’s vision, do you think enough is being done to cater for other important North West towns and cities?

Manchester appears to have connected to the central government in a way which matches their expectations, resulting in an influx of infrastructure spending has and greater autonomy.

This has done wonders for Manchester, but the Northern Powerhouse project will stand or fall on whether the region works together.

In light of this, the other towns and cities must do as Manchester have done and work to connect with central government to receive similar support.

For all our latest Northern Powerhouse news and views, click here.

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