Glasgow joins Core Cities Group
DESPITE the uncertainty over the future of Scotland as part of the UK, Glasgow has been admitted to the previously English Core Cities Group.
The Core Cities is now a collection of nine of the largest local authorities outside London driving an agenda for more devolved powers.
The other members are Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle. Nottingham and Sheffield.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council and chair of Core Cities Cabinet, said: “This is an historic moment for our group, expanding for the first time in more than a decade and for the first time ever outside England, a move which was agreed by all eight Core Cities’ political leaders.
“The question of independence is one for the people of Scotland. But the question of devolution to drive urban economies and jobs is one for cities, whether they are located in England or Scotland. Together we will be more able to challenge the centralising tendencies of all our governments. This does mean radical constitutional change, but it cannot just mean a contest between parliaments.
“Our cities’ economies will benefit from greater connectivity rather than separation. For example by working together to deliver HS2 as a first step toward a full national High Speed Rail network we will make life better for people and businesses in every UK city. And by collaborating to create better economic and employment policies we will deliver more jobs and growth for the nation. Together we will create an exciting vision for a wealthier, fairer and more balanced Britain.”
Cllr Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council added: “This is a highly significant moment as Glasgow takes her rightful place alongside our sister cities in England at the forefront of efforts to expand and re-balance the British economy. Glasgow has more in common with cities like Liverpool and Manchester than we do with many parts of Scotland.
“Arguing over which powers should be held by Holyrood or Westminster is a sterile distraction. Power and resources should be transferred from both parliaments to city-regions if we’re serious about creating jobs. Both nation-building centralisers and austerity-obsessives undermine economic growth.
“The future is urban, and metropolitan cities the world-over are the powerhouses of the economy. For the first time in human history the majority of the world’s population live in cities, a figure set to rise to 75% by 2050.”
Glasgow’s urban area delivers 33.1% of the Scottish economy and is home to 1,790,500 people, which when combined with the 27% of the English economy delivered by Core Cities urban areas and their residents, equates to 24.6% of the UK economy (27.0% of the English and Scottish economy combined) and 27.5 % of the UK population (29.7% of the combined English and Scottish population).
