Inclusive growth in English cities: mainstreamed or sidelined?

Abstract

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Inclusive Growth in cities: a sympathetic critique

“…The challenge for the Inclusive Growth agenda is to prove that it is achieving change. Similar policy agendas have offered the 'allure of optimism and purpose' but have led to relatively little positive change (Cornwall & Brock, 2005, p. 1044, and early evidence suggests this may be true of Inclusive Growth (Sissons et al, 2017). To do this, the frameworks being developed need to be refined and developed.…”

“…So it is not clear whether integration of these things into new Inclusive Growth strategies is a change on what would have happened without the agenda. In one study of the policy impact of the agenda, Sissons, Green, and Broughton (2017) consider the case of UK devolution. They show that cities are focused on supply-side interventions in the labour market, with little evidence of a deeper integration of Inclusive Growth into city strategies.…”

Political devolution and employment relations in Great Britain: the case of the Living Wage

“…In Wales, inclusive growth has been placed at the heart of the government's Economic Action Plan and defined in terms of ‘a fairer distribution of the benefits of economic growth both at an individual level and between different parts of Wales’ (Welsh Government, 2017b: 1). Beyond the devolved nations, regional and city authorities in England, such as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Greater London Authority, have embedded inclusive growth in their strategic planning (Sissons et al ., 2018). The preoccupation of the devolved nations with inclusive growth forms part of a broader trend.…”

“…The relatively high levels of accreditation, coverage and impact in the North West are concentrated in Greater Manchester, where the Metro Mayor, Andy Burnham, has also offered support to the campaign, including launching a Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, which includes the Living Wage as one of its elements. The strengthening of English regional government by the creation of strategic authorities with directly elected mayors is a secondary effect of devolution, designed to provide a voice and a degree of autonomy to English cities that corresponds to that conferred on Scotland and Wales (Bogdanor, 2019; Sissons et al ., 2018). This regional level of government has also provided an opportunity to Living Wage campaigners and the new tier of regional political leaders have been particularly strong advocates of the Living Wage standard.…”

Economic resilience in Great Britain: an empirical analysis at the local authority district level

“…Social conditions have been largely ignored in resilience studies to date or constrained to labour market performance. This is partly due to the lack of reliable data at the local level (Putnam, 2001), as well as the long-term policy perspective required for change (Sissons et al, 2018). However, there is evidence that the depth of social ties and extent of inequality, for example, both vary within countries and affect the economic performance of local areas (Crescenzi et al, 2013;Glaeser et al, 2009).…”