Government's LEP efforts are "shambolic", says professor
A Coventry University professor has cast doubt on the government’s plans to support regional economies and labelled its policy on LEPs as “nothing short of a shambles”.
Professor David Bailey, from Coventry University’s Business School, said: “It's not just me saying it. A number of economists, leading lights from the business world and even those high up in the CBI are all of the same frame of mind.
“The government had pledged to replace regional development agencies with new local bodies, supposedly accountable to local people, with local councils working with local businesses to help the local economy develop.
“Despite the rhetoric of excitement from local authorities and chambers, how disappointed in private they must now be given how much has been recentralised and what little in the way of resources they will have.”
Professor Bailey said he was concerned that the 24 accepted local enterprise partnerships “will not get funding to run anything of note” and that the assets from the regional development agencies could be claimed back by central government.
He added: “Of course, I genuinely wish the LEPs well, especially here in the West Midlands, but the fault-lines in new government policy need to be made clear by independent commentators.
“There is only one thing worse than toothless talking shops with no money and that's fragmented toothless talking shops with no money.”
