I want to discuss two success stories this week. The first is about Liverpool’s business prowess, the second about our local railway services.
Today it has been reported that the number of technology start-ups in Liverpool has increased by 119%. Many of these businesses are based in the Baltic Triangle, near to the old Cain’s brewery. The coalition government’s Local Growth Fund, via the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) will be boosted by £31.6m to a total of £264m following recent announcements. The LEP (between local decision makers and businesses) will make sure that the money goes to the right places to help businesses achieve growth. The money will be spent on investment, training, and business diversification, as well as helping existing businesses to enter global markets. This will mean more prosperity as more jobs lead to more money for people to spend.
The promise of further devolution to cities is welcome, and Liverpool needs to continue to be outward looking and attracting investment.
Now, onto transport, and the government’s massive investment in the railways (to improve congestion and overcrowding, and replace old rolling stock) will soon be felt in Merseyside. Newly refurbished, and longer, trains will shortly be entering service across the ‘Northern Rail’ network, particularly on the lines which have are being electrified, between Liverpool and Manchester, and Liverpool and Wigan via St. Helens. Additionally, it has been reported that there is backing for re-opening a closed station at St James, in the south of the city, to provide easy access for the constituents of Garston & Halewood to this city growth area. I am fully behind this reopening, and also behind the planned HS2 line which will open up new connections for our city and drive further economic growth. However, the best opportunities for our area will come if the HS2 link reaches right into Liverpool. You can sign a petition to register your support for this, as I have done, at www.highspeedrailliverpool.org