Our Chair Ursula Lidbetter has been in Whitehall today for the Annual LEP Conference 2015.
She heard at first hand from Government ministers, shadow ministers and informed business leaders on plans for growth in England.
With LEPs poised to begin the delivery of over £12bn of Local Growth Deals, an election looming and the air thick with various views from the different sides of the devolution agenda, the event provided an informative and lively agenda.
Guest speaker the Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Minister for Universities, Science & Cities, said: “National growth is the sum of local growth - for Britain to prosper every part of the country needs to fulfil its potential. The people who live, work and do business in each place know best what their area needs to do well, that is why the Government has undertaken the biggest ever transfer of powers and resources away from Whitehall.
“Devolving £12bn through Growth Deals to LEPs is part of our long-term plan to give local economies the flexibilities and resources to maximise their economic growth. As a result of the Growth Deals, across the country investment had been made to train young people, create of thousands of new jobs, build thousands of new homes and start hundreds of infrastructure projects.”
Other key speakers included the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP discussing LEPs driving economic growth, Rt Hon Lord Heseltine on LEP delivery, Luke Johnson, Chairman of private equity house Risk Capital Partners LLP and former Chairman of Channel 4 Television, on revving the UK enterprise engine, and Sherry Coutu CBE, entrepreneur, investor and advisor, who discussed realising business growth ambition to create jobs.
The LEP Network has brought together the views of LEPs to celebrate what has been achieved in economic growth and what LEPs view as important to build on as the devolution debate continues post General Election May 2015.
