New council leader Joe Anderson tells Peter Elson what Labour will do for Liverpool businesses

LIVERPOOL under Labour will be business-friendly, claims the city’s new leader.

After waiting to take power for seven years, Cllr Joe Anderson, leader of the city’s Labour group, is keen to promote his party’s pragmatic attitude.

The image of a rabidly anti-private sector administration, personified by the city’s Militant years and ideologically opposition to any form of entrepreneurial spirit, is dead and buried.

“I can’t emphasise enough how committed we are to working with the city and region’s businesses,” he said.

“Two of our three major priorities after winning this election are employment and training.

“We will address these major issues only by collaborating with the private sector.”

With a projected shortfall of £92m, or 19% of the council’s budget, over the next five years, he probably has little choice over how to keep the city on track.

Without the private sector, the city and its hinterland would be on its knees.

He admits that the days of government grants to fill in the cracks and chasms of local economic black-holes are gone.

“The era of the grant culture is now in the past,” he said.

To this end, Cllr Anderson will take over the council’s Business and Enterprise portfolios directly.

Previously these were held by an executive (ie, cabinet) member councillor, directly answerable to the leader.

He will also be working full-time in his role as leader of the council, unlike his Lib-Dem predecessors.

To woo the city’s business chiefs, a new departure will be the appointment of their representative in his first cabinet.

“I shall work with Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Liverpool in Business and independent businesses to find a representative from them,” he said.

“This is about a genuine collaboration to work together, not just someone who happens to be on the executive.

“Business people quite often complain that you can never get through to people on the council who know what they’re talking about.

“People who want to invest in this city have got to be able to get quick access and proper advice from the council.

“There must be a way to speed up planning applications.

“Other cities have pre-planning meetings, why can’t we?

“We’ve also got to be better at giving regular updates to business about what is happening from the city’s point of view.”

There is also a commitment to opening up the council’s procurement process through better promotion of tenders.

“One of the constant complaints I hear is that local businesses do not know about council tenders,” he said.

“It’s the least we can do to support local businesses who employ local labour.

“Leadership has to be proactive and visionary, while able to trust each other for the common good.”

While sceptical about the value of attending business and development fairs like France’s MIPIM, Cllr Anderson believes the concept should be reversed. “What we should do is have four day-long conferences here each year, where we set out our stall,” he said.

“These should be held at one of our showcase locations like St George’s Hall or the Town Hall.

“We want potential investors or businesses to come to the city and meet the chief executive, senior planners and executive members to discuss proposals.

“It would showcase the city at first hand to encourage them to invest here.

“We could send invitations to people not only across the UK, but also to the Far East based on our contacts from the Shanghai Expo.

Cllr Anderson also wants to review the role of regeneration and development quangos like the Northwest Development Agency, The Mersey Partnership and Liverpool Vision (on which he is a board member).

“Unlike the Conservatives, I think it’s wrong to get rid of the regional development agencies. They have a role to play.

“If we’re truthful, we have benefited more than other area from the NWDA.

“Without the NWDA’s support, Liverpool wouldn’t have the Cruise Terminal, Museum, Arena and Convention Centre.

“But I want to see what the support for the city is from the likes of TMP and Liverpool Vision.