McKenna praises "safe bet" Manchester
THE boss of networking and lobbying group Downtown Liverpool in Business has confirmed plans for a Manchester launch “early in the new year”, as he praised the city as a “place that makes things happen.”
Former politician Frank McKenna, chairman of the networking group, which also has a presence in Preston, has already had talks with key figures in Manchester ahead of the launch.
He told TheBusinessDesk: “The response has been really positive so far, we’ve got a few key sponsors lined up. We were thinking about Leeds, but recognised that Manchester is where we need to be. It is the commercial heart of the North West,”
Mr McKenna said Manchester’s civic leadership and its engagement with the private sector made it a model for other cities.
“In the last decade Manchester has proved that it is a safe bet for the Government and other agencies as a location where things are delivered, where projects happen.”
He said the North West could benefit from a more unified approach to business and partnerships, adding: “Of course there are always going to be local rivalries within a region, and some rivalry can be healthy, but in the past there’s maybe been too many petty squabbles within the North West.”
