05 Aug
Why does the Birmingham Post insist on misleading its readership over the City Region?
Almost every reference to the City Region claims that some spokesman is an elected member of the City Region, giving the impression that it isn’t an unelected, undemocratic quango.
Take this latest article, for example:
Glyn Pitchford, elected West Midlands Business Council business representative [...]
Posted in City Region, Press by: wonkotsane
1 Comment
25 Feb
The Birmingham Post reveals the real reason why Telford & Wrekin Council left the city region. and it was nothing to do with changing statutory requirements for membership causing them to reconsider.
Telford was forced out because the city region wants its independence and statutory powers and it can’t have them if Telford is a member [...]
Posted in City Region, Press by: wonkotsane
1 Comment
10 Dec
This was in yesterday’s Birmingham Post:
Could councils do the job of RDAs in the West Midlands?
We don’t hear much about the north-south divide any more.
Which is odd, because it’s just as wide as ever.
In fact, by some measurements the wealth gap between the rich south east and the rest of the country has become worse [...]
Posted in AWM, Press by: wonkotsane
No Comments
08 Aug
The Taxpayers Alliance has heaped criticism on Regional Development Agencies and singled out AWM for its terrible performance on job creation.
RDA’s have been around for 10 years and received £15.3bn in funding from the taxpayer yet more jobs were created in the 10 years prior to RDA’s taking responsibility for job creation despite it being the [...]
Posted in AWM, Other Regions, Press by: wonkotsane
6 Comments
26 May
Discarding RDAs will benefit local people
Dear Sir,
David Bailey criticises Tory proposals to strip Regional Development Agencies of their powers - claiming that this won’t help the West Midlands economy and will inevitably lead to a recentralisation of policy-making and delivery in London.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, it is not Tory proposals [...]
Posted in AWM, Press by: wonkotsane
No Comments
17 May
The Birmingham Post is claiming that a Tory plan to strip Regional Development Agencies of some of their powers will damage the economy of the West Midlands and centralise decision making.
This is absolute nonsense. Removing the regional quangocracy will empower local communities, increase democratic accountability in the decision-making process and could provide a [...]
Posted in AWM, Federal Europe, Press, Quangos by: wonkotsane
No Comments
30 Mar
According to the Times, Gordon Brown is planning to create a network of London-type mayors in the “English regions” to combat Englishness and promote the Britishness agenda he has become obsessed since being parachuted into the post of Prime Minister without a mandate.
England has always been considered expendable by the Labour Party, hence their willingness to embrace [...]
Posted in City Region, Other Regions, Press, Quangos by: wonkotsane
2 Comments
14 Mar
The following was in tonight’s Shropshire Star:
Claims City Region costs won’t be fair
People in Telford will be paying on average substantially more towards the controversial West Midlands City Region than their counterparts in Birmingham, campaigners claimed today.
The operating cots of the city region will be divided into 10 equal shares - meaning the one million [...]
Posted in City Region, Press by: wonkotsane
1 Comment