End of the NWDA

From the outset the Con-Lib coalition made it clear that abolishing quangos and the £500 million of public money they used up would be a key part of reducing government debt.  No doubt there are some strange and pointless quangos; The Potato Council, GTC and Milk Development Council, but not all are a waste of money.  In particular George Osbourne's decision to scrap the Regional Development Agencies seems very short sighted.

Today in the Downtown Manchester blog http://tiny.cc/cto7k Frank McKenna expressed his beliefs that the abolition of the RDAs is the coalitions first big mistake.  True there were considerable differences in the success levels of the various authorities yet as their purpose was to promote investment, surely more consideration should have been given to their future.  It seems the baby has been thrown out with the bath water.

The North West Development Agency was particularly successful in developing a region that is becoming a genuine alternative to London and helping to forge a path where local and county councils individually had failed.  This is not a criticism of the councils, they have their own interests to consider, however it is easy to see how the new Local Enterprise Partnerships will be as insular.

Could a North West wide networking group for LEPs be a way to form a working partnership?  In business the concept and success of 'givers-gain' is well known and personal interaction makes such co-operation far more likely.  Hopefully the LEPs will seek advice from wise heads such as Frank, Sir Howard Bernstein and Steve Broomhead and continue to create a bright future for our region.