Midlands leadership must catch up to the Northern Powerhouse

MIPIM UK LISTEN: The Midlands leadership has so far been “relatively disparate” and the region needs to “catch up to the Northern Powerhouse,” said Liz Peace, chair of the Battle of the Regions debate at MIPIM UK on Thursday. Speaking exclusively with Estates Gazette after this afternoon’s debate, Peace, who is also chair of the Curzon Regeneration Company in Birmingham, spoke frankly about the challenges facing the initiative. “The Midlands has not thought of itself as a region in the same way as elements of the north and the Northern Powerhouse has. Our leadership has been relatively disparate compared with Greater Manchester. But we’re getting there, we just started a bit later, so we’ve got a bit of running to do.” Asked if she thought the Midlands Engine was in competition with the Northern Powerhouse, Peace said it wasn’t about competition. “One of the things Brexit showed us is that politicians in London weren’t understanding what people want in the rest of the UK. We’re now seeing a realisation from central government.” Peace said she believed HS2 and HS3 were crucial for both the Midlands Engine and the Northern Powerhouse. But in terms of promoting itself, the Midlands Engine needed to present itself simply. “What is the difference between the Midlands Engine and the West Midlands Combined Authority? That’s a very valid point. It must be confusing to anyone outside the area. We don’t make it easy. We have quite a lot of work to do to make sure we present things simply.” • To send feedback, e-mail lisa.pilkington@estatesgazette.com or tweet @EGLisaP or @estatesgazette