LED Confidential

David and Mike discuss the March 2024 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publication of ‘Households below average income’ (HBAI) statistics (often referred to as ‘poverty statistics’) and what they tell us about the state of poverty and inequality in the UK today.

David and Mike unpack what is currently known about the Labour Party’s planned approach to local economic development and placemaking should it form the next UK Government.   In March 2024, the Labour Party published Power and Partnership: Labour’s Plan to Power up Britain , and Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor, gave the MAIS lecture .

David and Mike dissect the findings and recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee's report into the UK Government's three showcase 'Levelling Up' funds.

David and Mike are joined by leading spatial economist Professor Philip McCann for a wide-ranging discussion on the UK's growing regional economic inequalities. Philip draws on his decades of cutting-edge research and experience from around the world to analyse what's gone wrong - and how we can put it right. Tune in to hear his insights on regional divergence, devolution and the data gaps...

David and Mike discuss how far the UK Government’s £4.7bn announcement of transport investment for the North and Midlands mitigates cancellation of HS2 beyond Birmingham.

On February 13th, the UK Government announced a further elaboration of their 2023 Long-Term Plan for Housing. “ Every council in England will be told that they will need to prioritise brownfield developments and instructed to be less bureaucratic and more flexible in applying policies that halt housebuilding on brownfield land.  “ David and Mike discuss what all this means for LEDC listeners, thei...

With think tank New Local publishing a paper calling for 'Total Place 2.0', David and Mike revisit their recollections of ‘Total Place 1.0' – the place based budgeting pilots of the Blair-Brown government. They consider why it remains a compelling idea, albeit with some very practical challenges. New Local paper: https://www.newlocal.org.uk/articles/total-place-2-0-video-john-denham/

In this episode David and Mike are joined by Alex Hiniker, Director of the Sustainability Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University and facilitator of the first ever Voluntary Local Review (VLR) of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), completed for New York City. Learn more about how the SDGs and the mechanism of the VLR can be an important and relevant driver for LED and placemaking.

LEDC's final Espresso Shot for February...David and Mike pitch their Budget for local economic development

LEDC's second Espresso Shot for February 2024...With the publication of Cities Outlook 2024 by the Centre for Cities, David and Mike ask: do think tank reports contribute to ‘analysis paralysis’, or can they be made operationally relevant?

In their first Espresso Shot episode of February 24, Mike and David explore the under-appreciated role of the Public Works Loan Board in the recent financial difficulties of English councils

David, Mike, and Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett discuss the 'Salford Way' in this special episode. They talk inclusive economic growth, the mayoral model, and collaboration across Greater Manchester. Discover how Salford embraces its heritage as a cultural and industrial pioneer.

What were your key takeaways from 2023 for local economic development and placemaking? And what are you expecting for the coming months? Join David and Mike as they review their highlights and lowlights of 2023 and look ahead to what is sure to be another challenging year.

Have you ever wondered what we can learn about grappling with local economic development and placemaking from a 4,000 person island nestled in the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean? Prepare to be astounded and inspired as David and Mike find out in conversation with Susan O’Bey, Chief Secretary of St Helena, this remote, genuinely unique British Overseas Territory. From the island’s innovative approa...

For their roundup of November 2023, David and Mike dissect announcements from the Autumn Statement on devolution and check in with UK policy on economic zones. They explore the pros and cons of the latest devolution deals, the emerging shape of Single Financial Settlements for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, and the LED lessons from supporting a cyber cluster at Cheltenham's Golden V...

Tom Forth is Head of Data at Open Innovations, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of The Data City. He is a high-profile writer on questions relating to UK industrial strategy, devolution, and regional inequalities in economic development. In this episode, David and Mike explore with Tom how innovations in the use of data science in economic development can help local leaders revitalise their...

Join hosts David and Mike as they explore the pivotal role of business networks, like Chambers of Commerce, in shaping local economies with Staffordshire Chambers CEO Sara Williams OBE.

In this roundup of sector developments from October 2023, David and Mike dissect the UK's new Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, the National Infrastructure Commission's latest assessment of Britain's infrastructure needs, and 4-Day work week trials in local government.

In this roundup of sector developments from September 2023, David and Mike explore why the future of high speed rail, the precarious state local government finance, and mayors taking control of bus services in England are so important to the economic growth of places across the UK. What does Birmingham City Council effectively declaring bankruptcy mean for how it conducts placemaking? Why was HS2...

Curious about what comes after Local Enterprise Partnerships in England? Join David and Mike for an exclusive chat with Chris Starkie, former CEO of New Anglia LEP, as they dissect the transition from LEPs to successor arrangements in local economic development. What challenges and opportunities face those being handed the baton?

In this episode, David and Mike explore what economic developers can learn from the Spanish women's national football team, and their success at the World Cup despite high-profile failures of management. They dive into the summer blockbuster film Oppenheimer, and how the Manhattan Project can inform mission-led policy in the age of climate change.  Is it possible to recreate the dynamism outsi...

Curious about the future of devolution in England? Join David and Mike on LED Confidential as they sit down with Professor John Tomaney from University College London. Together they unravel devolution's impact on communities and economic growth. Hear why the current approach is failing to engage local people and the options for a more inclusive, effective decentralisation of power. Can reform...

Can inner-city densification and a new urban quarter for Cambridge get England out of its house building funk? Are large public subsidies for battery plants, like the proposed Tata Gigafactory factory in Somerset, the right way to modernise local economies? And what are the barriers to the tech revolution in public service delivery proposed by the Tony Blair Institute? Join David and Mike as they...

Join David, Mike, and Oxford Professor Danny Dorling as they discuss the roots of the UK economic crisis, and the geography of poverty and inequality. They dissect the long-term trends that shaped contemporary Britain's income and wealth disparities, and how local economic development can provide transformative solutions.

David and Mike explore the issues faced by local economic development teams in the UK as they navigate some of the fiercest price pressures in recent UK inflation rate history, a glacial UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and the impact of relocation on civil service jobs and behaviours. Tune in now for expert insights and actionable solutions! Bonus briefings now available on the LEDC website! How can pl...