GOVERNMENT minister James Wharton was in Leeds last week to give a short speech on how the city’s financial services sector can be promoted as part of the Government’s much-vaunted Northern Powerhouse initiative.
Apparently he was delayed arriving at the event because his train was late.
You couldn’t make it up.
If that doesn’t underline what really needs to be done to boost the economy in the North, then I don’t know what does.
Sending a Tory chinless wonder to preach the gospel on how this region can sell itself better to the UK and abroad alongside other financial hotbeds like Poole and Portsmouth is not going to soothe restless natives who want to see whether this Northern Powerhouse idea is the real deal or just politicians’ hot air.
On the back of James Wharton’s words, I’d say the Government has plenty to do to convince business people in the North that it is actually bothered about boosting the economy north of Chesterfield.
Wharton might glory in the title of Northern Powerhouse minister, but he sounded like any other politician from any part of the political spectrum: this is what you need to do, go off and do it and here’s a nice pat on the head for you.
I’ve yet to hear a politician really articulate what this so-called Northern Powerhouse is all about.
And what are they going to do to help?
Don’t give me the old flannel about us having to help ourselves in the North. We’ve been doing it for years while successive governments ploughed billions into transport initiatives in London and the South East as well as other trophy projects like the Olympics.
Nobody up here is holding their begging bowl expecting a handout.
But if this Government is going to come up with a “strategy” called the Northern Powerhouse then the least they can do is explain what it is and how it will work.
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IF the Northern Powerhouse initiative is to be a success then it will take courage and guts and inspiration from business leaders to make it happen.
I’m delighted to say that I was among a small but trusty band of adventurers that set out to cross the Pennines in the early hours of last Tuesday morning in the hope that we could make it to Manchester before the M62 got slowed to a standstill by traffic.
A mere three hours later we had made it. We braved that 45-mile journey bearing our pop-up banners and enthusiasm to arrive at the Old Trafford home of Lancashire County Cricket Club for Prolific North Live, a showcase of the digital, creative and media sector.
I’d compare it to Frodo Baggins and his fellowship’s trip to Mordor in the Lord of the Rings, but I don’t want to be too dramatic.
I was there with Nathan Lane and Stuart Clarke, co-founders with me of Media Yorkshire, a self-funded organisation set up to promote the massive and wide ranging media, creative and digital industries on the eastern side of the Pennines.
We’ve had no public money, this is an organisation for the industry, by the industry.
But if the public sector do want to cough up, then we’re happy to discuss it.
We weren’t daft: we went to the North West bearing gifts.
But they are a bit soft over the hill – nobody accepted our offer of a shot of Sloemotion Yorkshire sloe gin until at least 11am.
Our stand was on the same row as the BBC’s – complete with huge images of Media City in Salford and Dr Who’s Tardis.
Nice, but they didn’t have sloe gin.
We were next to Screen Yorkshire and it was great to chat to Sally Joynson, the chief executive, who was fresh from the world premiere of Dad’s Army, which was filmed in Bridlington.
There is lots going on in film – both TV and movies – in the region and these days it is less about chucking cash at film-makers to come here and more about selling them the opportunity.
Manchester’s Media City is a fantastic focal point for the creative sector in the North West and perhaps the reason why many would see it as dwarfing that of Yorkshire.
I’d argue that if you added all the digital, creative and media businesses across our region together then their talent, turnover and success would at least match that of the North West.
We had some great conversations at Prolific North Live and I also learned a lot.
Like there’s only so many intense creative types with beards and satchels that you can cope with speaking to in a day.
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I HEARD former City regulator Baron Turner of Ecchinswell on Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday morning talking economics.
It reminded me of when I was a fresh faced (I won’t say young, I’ve never felt young) City journalist in London in the late 1990s.
One of my first jobs (I would like to say assignment, but that’s for serious correspondents) was to attend a briefing by the head of the CBI, who was then just plain Adair Turner.
That’s if anyone called Adair can be called plain.
Us scribblers sat in a boardroom in the CBI’s HQ in the Centrepoint building in Tottenham Court Road as Adair Turner outlined his views of various economic policies and strategies.
I remember thinking at the time that I didn’t understand a word of what he said and even transcribing my shorthand notes later it all sounded complete gobbledegook to me.
I felt completely out of my depth.
And more than a decade and a half later I can confidently reassure you that I still don’t know what he’s on about.
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HAVE you given up anything for Lent?
I saw someone pledge on Twitter on Ash Wednesday: “I’m giving up sexual innuendo for Lent. It’s so hard.”
The day before, Shrove Tuesday, I was invited to take part in a corporate pancake making contest.
I turned it down.
Well, I’ve always been a useless tosser.
Have a great weekend.