Partner Article

Brain drain threat to the North East

A NUMBER of the region’s academic experts are warning that Local Enterprise Partnerships could scupper the North East’s chances of advancing economically.

Professor John Tomaney of Newcastle University believes that the Government’s plans to replace One North East with LEPs will not work.

In his article, published in the 2011 North East Business Guide, he explains that the knowledge vital to the region’s economic progress is being dissipated by the Government’s management.

He believes that the North East will be hard pressed to advance its economy at all once its Regional Development Agency (RDA) is finally phased out.

Professor John Tomaney said: “As the new partnerships for the region, one for Teesside and the other for elsewhere will have little resource, and very little power in the foreseeable future, maybe not too much damage has been caused by the delays beforehand.

“But we have told a story for so long of our regional cohesiveness. Tested, it was found wanting. There’s a danger we’ll fragment - punch below our weight. The case for some North East wide economic partnership is still very compelling.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .