Business leaders welcome MPs' Devolution call

Business leaders have welcomed a call by three Leicester and Leicestershire MPs for an accelerated Devolution deal in the region.

The three Labour MPs yesterday called upon Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council to urgently bring forward a single Devo proposal for LLR.

Liz Kendall, Jeevun Sandher and Amanda Hack issued a joint statement requested a clear public timetable.

And they warned that further delay risks the region missing out on vital investment, economic opportunities and powers that could help transform city and county communities.

Other regions across England are securing new devolved powers and investment packages through Mayoral combined authority status.

But Leicester and Leicestershire does not have a devolution deal - meaning it is often unable to bid for funding going to other regions.

The MPs' intervention has been welcomed by business stakeholders in the region, who have long argued for a path towards devolution.

Kevin Harris, Chair, East Midlands Chamber, said: "It's widely known that areas such as the West Midlands and Greater Manchester have been benefiting from devolution deals for years.

"As recently as last week, on the panel at the Leicestershire Leadership Forum lunch, I was talking about how our region is suffering from a national postcode lottery.

"Lack of devolution means that our businesses are missing out on significant sums of Government investment in skills and infrastructure.

"That gap is widening and the speed and depth of Devolution settlements today will determine regional competitiveness and funding for years to come."

The MPs' statement said that they believed that delivering a Devolution deal should be a shared priority across local government and political parties.

They also called for a focus on ensuring Leicester and Leicestershire receive the investment, powers and opportunities needed to compete with other regions and deliver prosperity for local communities.

Sue Tilley, Chair, Leicester Business Voice, said: "We've been advocating for a comprehensive mayoral devolution deal for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for some time now.

"Across several panel and round table events we've led with partners - including two with our local authority leaders - it's become clear that our members want a clear timeline for when LLR will gain mayoral combined authority status.

"For that reason, it's great to see local MPs now supporting that message as we all look to collaborate towards securing our fair share of investment from Government."

Scott Knowles DL, Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber, said: "It's become increasingly clear over the last 12 months that Leicester and Leicestershire are falling behind in terms of central investment when compared with strategic mayoral authority areas across England.

"Our members are aware that Devolution is channelling billions into mayoral authorities and that - as a non-devolved area - Leicester and Leicestershire is
unable to receive such funding. We believe that needs to change quickly.

"It's why, over recent weeks, East Midlands Chamber has been meeting with a host of stakeholders - including local MPs of all parties -to talk through ideas.

"We've had a fantastic response spanning industry, education and VCSE - and we're now working alongside partners to publish a set of simple asks needed
to accelerate devolution for Leicester and Leicestershire."