{"id":75324,"date":"2016-10-24T11:18:46","date_gmt":"2016-10-24T11:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=33f9f9cdc94aaf660fe52f65c549e98a"},"modified":"2016-10-24T11:18:46","modified_gmt":"2016-10-24T11:18:46","slug":"speech-a-south-west-that-works-for-everybody","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=75324","title":{"rendered":"Speech: A South West that works for everybody"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Thank you, Bill, and good afternoon everyone.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m delighted to be back here in the South West.<\/p>\n

I was born in Lancashire.<\/p>\n

I represent Bromsgrove.<\/p>\n

But I grew up in Bristol.<\/p>\n

So whenever I come back to the South West, it feels like I\u2019m coming home.<\/p>\n

Of course, by Cornish standards, Bristol is practically a suburb of London!<\/p>\n

And defining what the South West is, where it begins and ends, is one of the big challenges of events like this!<\/p>\n

But I do know that the West Country means a lot to me.<\/p>\n

Not least because I spent 3 years right here at the University of Exeter.<\/p>\n

I was actually here at the exact same time as a slightly more famous alumnus, Thom Yorke from Radiohead.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think our paths ever crossed.<\/p>\n

He was studying English.<\/p>\n

I was studying economics.<\/p>\n

He was writing era-defining music.<\/p>\n

I was campaigning against UK membership of the Exchange Rate Mechanism.<\/p>\n

He was one of the cool kids on campus.<\/p>\n

I\u2026 Well, let\u2019s just say I wasn\u2019t!<\/p>\n

That was 25 years ago.<\/p>\n

A lot has changed here since then.<\/p>\n

One, on the way in this morning I couldn\u2019t help but marvel at the new Forum building, just over the road.<\/p>\n

And two, last weekend, when I dug out my old Guild of Students ID card, it had a picture of some fresh-faced, bright-eyed young man with a full head of hair!<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know what happened to him\u2026<\/p>\n

One thing certainly hasn\u2019t changed, though.<\/p>\n

I was looking through a university guide with my eldest daughter recently, she\u2019s in the middle of her A-levels.<\/p>\n

And the entry for Exeter said that it has \u201cone of the most beautiful campuses in the country, in one of the most beautiful counties in Britain\u201d.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to argue with either statement.<\/p>\n

It really is great to be back.<\/p>\n

So thank you to everyone who has made today\u2019s event possible.<\/p>\n

That magnificent scenery may have secured Devon a place on UNESCO\u2019s world heritage list.<\/p>\n

But the county doesn\u2019t have a monopoly on natural beauty in the South West.<\/p>\n

This is a truly stunning part of the world.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s one of the reasons tourism has been such a bedrock of the local economy for many years now.<\/p>\n

But, as Bill has noted, that success is a double-edged sword.<\/p>\n

It provides plenty of jobs, but many are low paid.<\/p>\n

It brings in plenty of money, but it can all too easily price locals out of the housing market.<\/p>\n

And it supports the economy, but perpetuates the idea of the South West as an area of low skills and part-time work.<\/p>\n

We all know the region has much, much more to offer.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just some seasonal playground for the rest of the country.<\/p>\n

Nor is it a giant retirement community for Britain\u2019s pensioners.<\/p>\n

Between them, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset, the counties represented here today, are home to 3 million people.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s bigger than every city in the UK outside London.<\/p>\n

The region is home to world-class universities and highly skilled workers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s home to hundreds of thousands of growing businesses, from aerospace to creative industries.<\/p>\n

It has almost unlimited potential just waiting to be tapped.<\/p>\n

I know that.<\/p>\n

You know that.<\/p>\n

The question is how we take that message to the rest of the country and the rest of the world.<\/p>\n

How we turn all that potential into solid economic success.<\/p>\n

The answer comes in 2 parts.<\/p>\n

The first is at my end, central government.<\/p>\n

And it starts with total honesty.<\/p>\n

For too long successive governments have not done enough for the South West.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s not been enough investment in people, in infrastructure or in institutions.<\/p>\n

And the region has suffered as a result.<\/p>\n

The inadequacy of traditional infrastructure was thrown into stark relief in 2014, when the rail line at Dawlish was washed away.<\/p>\n

It meant 8 weeks of isolation.<\/p>\n

A billion pounds lost to the economy.<\/p>\n

But 21st century connectivity is also lacking.<\/p>\n

Average broadband speeds for the whole South West look pretty respectable on paper.<\/p>\n

But I know that in homes and offices across the region, the day-to-day reality is very different.<\/p>\n

The same is true of mobile phone coverage.<\/p>\n

In 2016, you shouldn\u2019t be shocked to get a 4G signal in Somerset or Devon.<\/p>\n

Yet sure enough, on the journey down today I kept checking my phone, and all too often there was no signal to be found.<\/p>\n

This really matters.<\/p>\n

Modern business is digital and mobile.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have 21st century infrastructure, you can\u2019t create 21st century jobs.<\/p>\n

But things are changing.<\/p>\n

When I was Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, I negotiated a \u00a35 billion binding deal with Britain\u2019s mobile operators<\/a> to improve coverage and eradicate \u201cnot-spots\u201d.<\/p>\n

By the end of next year, the 4 biggest operators will guarantee voice and text coverage across 90% of the UK.<\/p>\n

The \u201cnot-spots\u201d that plague places like the rural South West will be cut by two-thirds.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, we\u2019re investing a billion pounds to bring superfast broadband<\/a> to every corner of the country.<\/p>\n

In the 21st century, a fast, reliable internet connection is as important to most businesses as electricity.<\/p>\n

And, thanks to this government, by the end of next year, 95% of the UK should have access to one.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re also plugging the South West\u2019s skills gap.<\/p>\n

By the end of this Parliament we will have created 3 million apprenticeships<\/a> right across the country.<\/p>\n

They give young people vital training.<\/p>\n

And they give local businesses the workforce they need in order to grow.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m totally committed to building new homes for the South West.<\/p>\n

Too many people here are forced to turn their backs on the region in order to find secure, affordable housing.<\/p>\n

If the South West\u2019s economy is to grow, it needs homes for South West people to live in.<\/p>\n

And as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, I\u2019m determined to get those homes built.<\/p>\n

All of these are national programmes that will really benefit people here in the South West.<\/p>\n

But I want to take things to the next level.<\/p>\n

I want to tackle the challenges that are unique to the region.<\/p>\n

I want to make the most of the many opportunities it offers.<\/p>\n

But central government can\u2019t do that alone, we need your help.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s the second half of the equation I mentioned earlier.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve heard from Chris Loughlin a couple of times today.<\/p>\n

He recently wrote an excellent opinion piece for the Western Morning News.<\/p>\n

And the only bit I really disagreed with was the headline!<\/p>\n

It said: \u201cForget the Northern Powerhouse, back the South West\u201d.<\/p>\n

Well, sorry, Chris.<\/p>\n

Contrary to some press reports, we\u2019re not forgetting about the Northern Powerhouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nor are we forgetting our other well-established regional strategy, the Midlands Engine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because, under our new Prime Minister, this government has a single, overarching aim.<\/p>\n

To make Britain a country that works for everyone.<\/p>\n

Not just the privileged few.<\/p>\n

Not just London.<\/p>\n

Everyone.<\/p>\n

And \u201ceveryone\u201d includes in the South West.<\/p>\n

I would dearly love to see a South Western equivalent of the Northern Powerhouse or Midlands Engine.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m more than willing to work with you, speak for you, and stand by you to make it happen.<\/p>\n

But it has to start here, with you.<\/p>\n

The Midlands Engine and Northern Powerhouse are both locally led.<\/p>\n

Yes, central government is highly involved.<\/p>\n

But they were conceived, gestated and delivered by people and businesses in the regions themselves.<\/p>\n

Local leaders putting aside parochial politics and co-operating for the greater good.<\/p>\n

And I don\u2019t think it\u2019s controversial to say that, historically, that kind of co-operation hasn\u2019t always been the south west\u2019s strong point.<\/p>\n

Part of the problem is simply geographical.<\/p>\n

The sheer size and rural nature of the region makes it physically difficult to connect disparate communities.<\/p>\n

After all, there are parts of Gloucestershire that are closer to Scotland than they are to Land\u2019s End.<\/p>\n

Part of the problem is political.<\/p>\n

Some in Cornwall see their county as distinct from the rest of the region, a special case that should be handled separately from everywhere east of the Tamar.<\/p>\n

Some in Poole and Bournemouth associate themselves more closely with Southampton, Portsmouth and the M3 corridor than with rural Dorset.<\/p>\n

And then there the traditional, often historic, rivalries and tensions that you find in any region.<\/p>\n

One county looking down on another.<\/p>\n

A smaller one mistrusting a larger neighbour.<\/p>\n

Urban areas versus rural ones.<\/p>\n

And so on.<\/p>\n

If we\u2019re going to make a success of the South West, that whole attitude has to change.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s why today\u2019s conference is so important.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about recognising that this region can achieve more together than apart.<\/p>\n

About long-term strategic thinking and planning that benefits everyone \u2013 not promoting one area at the expense of another.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want a return to the days of Regional Development Agencies and failed plans for regional assemblies.<\/p>\n

The devolution agreements we\u2019ve secured for the North and the Midlands aren\u2019t about region-wide control, asserting some bland artificial identity on a diverse population.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no \u201cnorthern assembly\u201d, no \u201cMayor of the Midlands\u201d.<\/p>\n

These devolution deals give power back to local people.<\/p>\n

They give communities the power to negotiate between themselves to secure investments and infrastructure that will make a real difference.<\/p>\n

They give regions the tools they need to work together and get on.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what I want to see here in the South West.<\/p>\n

Not a political union of several very different counties, but an economic coming together of several million people.<\/p>\n

Not a single region with no local identity, but local people and local businesses working together to achieve clear, strategic goals.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not saying for one moment that all decisions should be made at a regional level.<\/p>\n

Where something is best looked at by a county, or a community or even just a single neighbourhood, that\u2019s exactly what should happen.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m currently passing legislation that will do just that, giving an even greater voice to neighbourhoods in the planning process.<\/p>\n

But projects and investments and infrastructure should be delivered based on where they can make the most difference for the people of the South West, not dictated by centuries-old lines on a map.<\/p>\n

Where region-wide collaboration and co-operation can make a difference, it has to happen.<\/p>\n

Just look at international trade.<\/p>\n

In the past 12 months I\u2019ve led overseas trade missions from both the North and the Midlands.<\/p>\n

Few of the companies involved would ever have made it onto a traditional national delegation, dominated by big names from the capital.<\/p>\n

Individual cities and towns would struggle to secure the attention of overseas investors.<\/p>\n

But by taking the regions on tour, we\u2019ve opened foreign eyes to a whole new world of opportunities.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m preaching to the choir.<\/p>\n

The LEPs<\/abbr> and various local networks are already showing how well this region can work together.<\/p>\n

I know that a lot more work has already been going on behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

And I welcome the creation of the South West Growth charter, agreed in principle here today.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s positive, it\u2019s proactive, and it\u2019s exactly the kind of thing I want to see more of.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a concrete first step towards a strategy that will help every corner of the South West achieve its full potential.<\/p>\n

In my second year as an Exeter student I got together with a friend, journalist Tim Montgomerie, and founded what we called the Exeter Enterprise Forum.<\/p>\n

The EEF<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

It was basically an amateur think-tank aimed at supporting local growth through free enterprise economics.<\/p>\n

Like I said, I wasn\u2019t one of the cool kids on campus!<\/p>\n

The EEF<\/abbr> was certainly well-intentioned.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m not sure we ever actually did much to create jobs and opportunity in south Devon!<\/p>\n

Twenty-five years later, I find myself much better-placed to support this part of the world that I love so much.<\/p>\n

I grew up here, I came of age here.<\/p>\n

But when it was time to go out and earn a living, the South West had little to offer.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t the first or the last to leave the South West in search of opportunity.<\/p>\n

Too many have been forced to do the same.<\/p>\n

Today, thanks to people like you, that is beginning to change.<\/p>\n

The prospects here are much brighter.<\/p>\n

But there is much more to do and I\u2019m determined to get on and help you do it.<\/p>\n

The South West helped deliver this government.<\/p>\n

And this government will deliver for the South West.<\/p>\n

In Cornwall, in Devon, in Dorset, in Somerset and beyond\u2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019m looking forward to working with all of you to build a South West that works for all of us.<\/p>\n

A South West that offers opportunity to everyone, not just the privileged few.<\/p>\n

And a South West that is truly greater than the sum of its many great parts.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Speaking at his old university, Sajid Javid calls for a locally-led drive to grow the economy of South West England.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=75324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=75324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=75324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}