I have read Chuka Umuna’s thoughts on “the new urban age” (in the New Statesman) twice now and still cannot discern any concrete proposals in it: http://www.newstatesman.com/staggers/2014/06/chuka-umunna-why-we-should-let-cities-and-regions-forge-their-own-futures
Is it possible that it is just a rehash of John Prescott’s regional policy that was so decisively rejected by the electorate?
“…self-reinforcing networks of knowledge, suppliers and support, where people of different backgrounds and disciplines come into contact and discover new ways of doing things.” I thought the internet was doing this already? The trend is to get away from business dominated by a culture of physical meetings.
“…cities are the growth machines of the 21st century: they harness specific local strengths and turn them into clusters of expertise and innovation.” But in the United Kingdom they are no longer centres of manufacturing. Which is a big difference between British cities and the cities Chuka Umuna is commending to us.
“…we asked Andrew Adonis to carry out an independent review into how to push power down, decentralise and promote better balanced growth across all regions and cities of the UK.” How is Andrew Adonis independent? He is a Labour crony.
“Lord Heseltine, the Conservative whose collaboration with Liverpool's Labour council over the years led to him being awarded the Freedom of the City by the Labour administration there in 2012.” I did not know this fact but I am not surprised. Heseltine has always been a big state socialist.
“…people are less tribal, do not identify with political parties as strongly as they once did.” They do not identify with political parties because political leaders are so dishonest. Try showing some loyalty to the electors and they might show some loyalty to you.
“…highlighting the economic and democratic dynamism of cities put in charge of their own destinies” Cities running their own affairs is fine. Urban areas swamping the surrounding region is not.
“The United Kingdom is crying out for decentralisation which is why we will put forward the most radical set of plans to devolve power to English cities and regions in a generation at next year's General Election.” But as I said, this is just John Prescott Regionalism Mark 2. I want to see comprehensive safeguards for small communities and individuals who may not want to be incorporated into an urban region.
“…the benefits of decentralisation - particularly to cities and city-regions - are too great to ignore.” And yet Chuka Umuna does not list any of these benefits. He points to Chinese and American urban areas and implies we might become like them (as if this is some kind of incentive).
“In April Ed Miliband announced that the next Labour government will hand control of at least £20 billion of funding from Whitehall to city and county regions, in line with the recommendations made by Lord Heseltine in his seminal report No Stone Unturned.” I cannot think of anything more ghastly than merging Heseltine’s quasi-fascist corporate syndicalism with Labour’s vibrantly diverse urbanist multiculturalism. To quote Chris Rea: This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway, Oh no, this is the road to hell.
Is it possible that it is just a rehash of John Prescott’s regional policy that was so decisively rejected by the electorate?
“…self-reinforcing networks of knowledge, suppliers and support, where people of different backgrounds and disciplines come into contact and discover new ways of doing things.” I thought the internet was doing this already? The trend is to get away from business dominated by a culture of physical meetings.
“…cities are the growth machines of the 21st century: they harness specific local strengths and turn them into clusters of expertise and innovation.” But in the United Kingdom they are no longer centres of manufacturing. Which is a big difference between British cities and the cities Chuka Umuna is commending to us.
“…we asked Andrew Adonis to carry out an independent review into how to push power down, decentralise and promote better balanced growth across all regions and cities of the UK.” How is Andrew Adonis independent? He is a Labour crony.
“Lord Heseltine, the Conservative whose collaboration with Liverpool's Labour council over the years led to him being awarded the Freedom of the City by the Labour administration there in 2012.” I did not know this fact but I am not surprised. Heseltine has always been a big state socialist.
“…people are less tribal, do not identify with political parties as strongly as they once did.” They do not identify with political parties because political leaders are so dishonest. Try showing some loyalty to the electors and they might show some loyalty to you.
“…highlighting the economic and democratic dynamism of cities put in charge of their own destinies” Cities running their own affairs is fine. Urban areas swamping the surrounding region is not.
“The United Kingdom is crying out for decentralisation which is why we will put forward the most radical set of plans to devolve power to English cities and regions in a generation at next year's General Election.” But as I said, this is just John Prescott Regionalism Mark 2. I want to see comprehensive safeguards for small communities and individuals who may not want to be incorporated into an urban region.
“…the benefits of decentralisation - particularly to cities and city-regions - are too great to ignore.” And yet Chuka Umuna does not list any of these benefits. He points to Chinese and American urban areas and implies we might become like them (as if this is some kind of incentive).
“In April Ed Miliband announced that the next Labour government will hand control of at least £20 billion of funding from Whitehall to city and county regions, in line with the recommendations made by Lord Heseltine in his seminal report No Stone Unturned.” I cannot think of anything more ghastly than merging Heseltine’s quasi-fascist corporate syndicalism with Labour’s vibrantly diverse urbanist multiculturalism. To quote Chris Rea: This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway, Oh no, this is the road to hell.
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