Midlands fears distraction of devolution - An interview with Toyota UK’s Deputy Managing Director, Tony Walker, on devolution proposals for the East Midlands reveals that, while the car manufacturer favours the idea of localised power, the region needs to demonstrate it has the necessary competencies to take on new responsibilities. Walker believes there is some way to go on that. The article suggests that the East Midlands requires a different sort of model to the ‘metro mayoral model’ being adopted in Manchester and the West Midlands. David Ralph, chief executive of local enterprise partnership, says: “The real concern for us is about the governance framework that can deliver devolution. Metro mayors are by definition better suited to city regions. We’re not an easy patch to define. We’re a polycentric geography. We’re not a city region.” The East Midlands is one of the best-performing economic regions outside London, with Derby the largest exporter of goods per head of population of any UK city. – SB
We read it in: Financial Times, June 2 2015
