Michael Dugher, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, has announced that Labour would introduce regional ministers as a way to ensure that economic growth would be evenly spread across the country. Speaking at the think-tank IPPR, he said:
“Labour is pledging to introduce Regional Ministers to put the voice of the English regions at the heart of Labour decision-making. They will help to shape policy around local and regional interests with a view to correcting the regional inequalities that have arisen under the Tories.”
Stressing that this is not a replica of previous devolution legislation, but complementary to an agenda that promises to “devolve more power to city-regions”, he outlined what the role of the positions would be:
“Regional Ministers would bring together central government, business and local authorities, advise Ministers on the impact of government policy in the regions and promote inward investment.”
These new ministerial jobs would oversee nine regional networks: London; South East; South West; West Midlands; North East; North West; Yorkshire and Humber; East Midlands; and Eastern. David Cameron scrapped the previous regional government offices after the last election, keeping only ministerial positions for Scotland and Wales. The current Government has a Minister for Cities and a Minister for Portsmouth. It seems the new positions announced by Labour would outstrip the influence of the previous incarnations.
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