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In the latest instalment of Insider's Q&A series on the Northern Powerhouse, Andrew Lazare, managing director at Mint Bridging, outlines what the initiative means to him, the need to put British business first, and what can be done to champion Northern cities.
Name: Andrew Lazare
Position: Managing director
Company: Mint Bridging (Mint Property Finance)
What does the Northern Powerhouse mean to you?
It's a drive to ensure that business isn't London-centric. I support the ambition but question the approach.
Seven years have passed since the phrase 'Northern Powerhouse' was first coined. Has enough happened since then?
The answer has to be no. We've not seen enough progress or indeed a clearly timed plan, and the lack of clarity is damaging. One of the key ambitions of the Northern Powerhouse is to deliver improved transportation links to support long-term business growth. To the contrary, the continued lack of certainty around plans such as HS2 is having a negative impact on businesses and individuals. Millions have been wiped off properties and businesses based on something that may or may not happen, meaning that affected organisations are in limbo and that is the worst place in which to be. Now more than ever we need clear direction and sustained, honest communication.
How is the appointment of metro mayors starting to help the initiative?
Individually and collectively, the metro mayors have given the North a greater voice. That's been beneficial in terms of profile, but recent months have shown us that this doesn't lead to greater governmental power. For all the metro mayors' combined efforts they simply do not have the resource or government influence to deliver the scale of change that we need. Trust is at an all-time low. As we move forward, I'd like to see greater communication between Northern business leaders and communities. We have a valuable role to play in driving change and now more than ever need to be a part of the process.
What needs to be done to help the North recover from the Covid-19 outbreak?
One of the greatest challenges of the pandemic has been the absence of a timeframe, when it hit us none of us knew just how long this journey was going to be. Because of this many businesses have been unable to plan. That's presented challenges but it also feels like a real missed opportunity. If we, business leaders, had known 12 months ago that we'd be in this for a year or more, I think that many of us would have made different decisions and invested our time better. As we look to come out of the pandemic a clear and confident exit plan is vital, not just for the recovery of the North but the UK as a whole. Financially I think the government has given us what they can, there is no magic money tree. Some businesses have flourished during the pandemic and others have had a terrible time. It's tough but we've got to now come together and make this work.
What is the single main issue you would like to see dominate the Northern Powerhouse agenda?
British business. The Northern Powerhouse has ambitious plans to boost the local economy through investment in skills, innovation, transport and culture. They're welcome and I fully support the ambition to level the North/South playing field, but the plans are long and protracted and that is if they are to be realised at all. The pandemic and our exit from the EU require an immediate shift in focus if we're to trade our way out and build a positive future for our young; we need to put British business first and establish clear, short and mid-term objectives alongside the long. We need to get the order of activity right, let's make the North stronger by buying local, supporting local and understanding the values of buying local. When we're strong in the North we can then compete with the offering in the South, with the support of investment in technology and infrastructure. Until we get it right here, however, it's a wasted opportunity.
Is there enough collaboration between towns and cities across the North?
No, not at all and I'm not sure how you change that because, whilst it sounds silly, there will always be football divisions. We've been brought up to be proud of our roots but how many of us can say we know what it is our cities are successful for? We're trying to get people to change their mindset about areas we have historically been told to see as competitors without remembering what those areas are successful for or understanding the relevance of that today. There needs to be a re-education as to why it's good to champion things coming out of Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester and beyond, and to establish what makes these cities join up. Then we can champion them as a whole.
How would the success of the Northern Powerhouse agenda benefit your business?
I don't think we'll see the benefit of it in our time.
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