Big deal, big row, big borderlands challenge
The Borderlands Growth Deal, announced on Monday, will pump close to £400 million into the south of Scotland and the north of England.
That breaks down as £150 million for Scotland (£85 million from the Scottish government and £65 million from the UK government) and £200 million for England, from the UK Government.
Nearly £45million is coming from the five local authorities north and south of the Border - Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, NorthumberlandCounty Council, and Scottish Borders Council.
The money will come to the area over the next ten to 15 years and is aimed at creating what is know in the jargon as 'inclusive economic growth', that is creating greater prosperity and equity.
No sooner had the main points of the deal been signed off by Scottish and UK government ministers, plus the council leaders, than a row broke out.
The south of Scotland SNP MSP Emma Harper claimed the UK government was 'selling Scotland short' to the tune of £20 million - Scottish ministers putting in £85m north of the border, the UK £65m.
While it does not dispute the figures, the UK government dismiss this, claiming that the £200m for 'England' will actually benefit Scotland. For example improving transport links in Carlisle will help Scotland.
There's an added twist to this today with claims that Cumbria should get a larger slice of the Borderlands cake.
Rob Johnston, Chief Executive of Cumbria Chamber Commerce, said: “Half the population of the Borderlands region live in Cumbria yet we’re not getting anywhere near half the money. Carlisle Station Gateway is the only major infrastructure project in the county to receive funding."
It's probably inevitable that when money is involved there will be a row, but leaving that aside, what are the key recommendations from the growth deal and another report out today from the Scottish government, 'Business-led economic growth'.
Cutting through some of the rather jargon-heavy verbiage, both initiatives come to broadly the same conclusions. There's a lot of detail but it boils down to this.
The borderlands, north and south, need better physical and digital infrastructure. That means roads, rail, and broadband connectivity.The town centres need to be modernised, so that they become attractive places for people to live once again, and for businesses to set up.
And crucially small businesses need to be able to get their hands on money to help them start up and to develop. They will provide the jobs of the future.The report from the Scottish government highlights the fact the new Scottish Investment Bank and the new South of Scotland Enterprise Agency could both be a source of funds.
But it can't just be the public sector and the report says that businesses do not have confidence in the banks to recognise the possibilities of investing in them.
There is much more to the Borderlands deal and the Scottish government report than that, and for those who like detail, there are links to both at the foot of this blog.
However, the impression I get from the south of Scotland, and the north of England, is that these reports spell out in useful detail the problems they have always known about.
What matters now this detailed work has been done is that the two governments, the local authorities, the various agencies, and crucially the private sector work together to deliver the growth the borderlands need to prosper.
And when the big row over the big deal is long forgotten the need to meet that challenge, to deliver on the possibilities, and demonstrate that has been done, will still remain.
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