Looking Back in Order to Move Forward: The Politics of Evolving Sub-National Economic Policy Architecture

Abstract

Based on insights ‘in the English field’ over the past decade, I take a brief look back at New Labour’s economic policy architecture as a means to postulate on its reconfiguration under the incumbent Liberal Democrat-Conservative (Lib-Con) Coalition Government. In particular, I reflect on my time devising spatial policy, economic strategies and regeneration programmes at national, regional and local spatial scales, to consider the transition from a New Labour regionalist approach (epitomised by Regional Development Agencies) to a Lib-Con purported localism approach (embodied in the proposed Local Enterprise Partnerships). I conclude by expressing some personal concerns that the dismantling of existing regional economic architecture is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath-water. Alongside this, I contend that in the haste to set-up Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Coalition Government may be in danger of reinventing the wheel.