As Andy Burnham prepares to address his first Labour Party Conference as Prime Minister, a new book by economic development practitioner Dr Glenn Athey argues that the argument over whether to devolve power is over. The question now is whether the institutions receiving power can use it well, and quickly.
Prosperity in Every Postcode, published on Amazon and The Great British Bookstore today, is written for the leaders and officers of strategic authorities, combined authorities and councils now responsible for turning the government's pledge of "good growth in every postcode" into results.
The book argues that devolved institutions face a ten-year test, with the first serious political appraisal around year five. England's Regional Development Agencies lasted thirteen years from statute to closure. They returned between £4.50 and £6.40 for every pound spent, and were abolished anyway. The Local Enterprise Partnerships also lasted thirteen years.
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