Gordon Brown: We will not abandon Liverpool

Jan 8 2009 Liverpool Daily Post

Prime Minister Gordon Brown visits Liverpool _320

Liam Byrne: A true honour to organise cabinet meeting in my first city

AS SOMEONE born in Warrington, it’s a true honour to organise today’s Cabinet in Liverpool, the first city I ever knew.

As we meet hundreds of local business leaders, charities, youth groups and citizens, today is a chance for the Cabinet to congratulate the city and learn how you’ve achieved such great progress.

In the last 12 months, Liverpool has shown the world the strength and excitement of its cultural renaissance. But perhaps the year’s greatest strength was the window it opened on a decade-long wider renewal.

Your extraordinary story offers crucial lessons as we prepare Britain for the future. Liverpool has always made its living in the world. And that story of success in the world economy will only get more important in the decade to come.

That’s why we have to invest in delivering real help now, to get Britain through the downturn faster and stronger. It’s why we’ve reduced VAT, helping nearly 3m households and 200,000 businesses in the North West, why we’ve given New Year payments of £60 to pensioners and others in need. And why we’re bringing business support, job packages and mortgage guarantees to everyone in the region.

But, alongside real help now, we have to invest in hope for the future. World markets are forecast to double in the decades to come. This offers a future full of potential for Liverpool and Britain. After World War II we built a new economy that brought better jobs, wages and prospects. We invested in those tough times in our renewal, just as Liverpool has done before today.

Getting our investment for the future right is crucial. We want to learn from the spirit of Liverpool.