The Northern Powerhouse project may have faltered in terms of the government’s legislative agenda, as Tommy Stubbington pointed out, but the economic building blocks that could bring about the north’s revival are still very much in place (“Is this the real face of the Northern Powerhouse?”, last week).
All net job growth in the UK is created by businesses scaling up — and this source of growth and prosperity is still relatively untapped. The ScaleUp Institute estimates that if just 1% of businesses expanded it could add as much as £1bn to the economy.
In its action so far on the Northern Powerhouse, such as the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, Transport for the North and its industrial strategy green paper, the government has shown a willingness to tackle the funding, infrastructure, skills and other issues that prevent small and medium-sized businesses from growing.
However the government chooses to brand its support for business growth, the north’s companies are ready to scale up and are increasing in number.
Nigel Mills, chairman, The Entrepreneurs’ Forum, Gateshead
If we want to reduce future debts, let’s scrap HS2
The trade secretary Liam Fox said on the BBC’s Question Time on June 29, “The idea that the country can spend money that it doesn’t have and simply leave the debt to the next generation is simply not acceptable” — and in the context of HS2, he is absolutely right.
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A new report from the think tank the Institute for Government is very critical of HS2, highlighting the lack of a transport strategy and bad decision-making. It is therefore even more important that the recent call by Lord Framlingham and others for a Treasury-led review, taking independent evidence from as wide a range of qualified people as possible, is heeded.
Independence and transparency is crucial since, when questioned, the standard response from the government is to repeat: “The case for HS2 is crystal clear.” No, it is not.
How long will it be before we are told HS2 is over budget or delayed by technical difficulties? By then we will be stuck with the wretched thing. It will never float but it seems we can’t sink it.
Miles Palmer, Alsager, Cheshire
Pain in the neck? I blame Brexit
You reported on page 1 last week that Sir Mike Rake blames Brexit for the sale of Worldpay. You might have added that Sir Mike would hold Brexit responsible for an ingrowing toenail.
Robert Turnbull, Guildford, Surrey
Simon Duke’s Agenda column gave many reasons why the Brexit negotiations may be difficult and create problems for Theresa May’s red line (“Let’s face it, there’ll be no bonfire of red tape”, last week). His final comments were confusing, however.
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He stated that hardline Brexiteers were fast learning a harsh truth and Britain may end up beholden to Brussels, forced to accept rules it no longer has a hand in formulating. He then stated that a chaotic departure would damage both sides. If this is the case, surely the European negotiators would do their best to prevent damage to the EU.
Perhaps the EU has still to discover the harsh truth about the need to be flexible in the discussions rather than take the view that Britain must be punished for leaving.
The long-term view of the euro currency is never discussed in Brexit outcomes. Is this a big concern in Simon Duke’s thoughts on “no deal being better than a bad deal”?
Reg Rundle, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire