Labour has an opportunity. For too long failure in the coast and country has been expected, and consequently the energies of the party have ignored the potential of our non-urban areas. Covid can change this; coast and country life will be dramatically altered by the aftermath of this pandemic. Thanks to Covid home-working has now…
Centuries ago, when transport for goods and travellers was most conveniently done by water, people settled in coastal towns. Later, sea ports attracted major industries like ship-building and mining. Later still, seaside centres grew up in places convenient for day trips by rail from urban centres. With the passage of time, functions change. Towns have…
Defence is an integral part of Britain’s economic security, as made clear by Philip Dunne’s 2018 review Growing the Contribution of Defence to UK Prosperity. As the last General Election showed, defence is also an integral feature of how the British public thinks about Britain and its place in the world. The Iraq and Afghanistan…
I have spent decades arguing the case for better investment by the government into our rural areas. Here are my thoughts on this subject in the current climate. I readily accept that there is significant inter-dependence between urban and rural areas and that the City of London, and Northern Powerhouse are obviously major contributors to…
Heinz announced on 8 October proposals to close its Westwick factory near North Walsham in North Norfolk – putting at risk 200 jobs. The company says that the proposal comes as a result of its contract to produce Aunt Bessie’s frozen potato products for the William Jackson Food Group nearing an end. Clearly questions must…
