The North West Tonight Debate Our Economy


The North West Tonight Debate

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It's 20 years since Bill Clinton immortalised the phrase, "it's the

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economy, stupid". He was referring then to the crisis hitting the US

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committee in the 1990s. That phrase works just as well today here in

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Britain. In particular, in the North West. We're here at the

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Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, a shrine to our

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industrial heritage. What about our industrial future? In a special

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North West Tonight Debate we're asking, what is being done? What

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isn't being done? What should be A warm welcome to you at home and

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to everybody here, our guests at the Museum of Science and Industry.

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Each one of these people has a vested interest in making sure the

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North West economy is a huge success in the future. Where do we

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stand today? In the week when the Budget is to be announced. We have

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heard, haven't we, the potential that public sector workers may have

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their pay frozen to bring in line with private sector pay. That will

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hit workers here in the North West we will talk about that and much

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more. Before we check on the state of the economy here, let's check

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what our state of mind is, first of all. A straw poll, who of you here,

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no matter what is going on, feels optimistic about the North West's

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economy? Pretty much. Max, you put your hand up. Why? Investment is

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still going into the North West. Jaguar Land Rover, the new mercy

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crossing. The Government has to carry on helping us and meet us

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half way. We need a Government who can help us with growth and we can

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continue to be optimistic. feels pessimistic? As a recent

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post-graduate there is little for job opportunities. Whatever

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investment has come into the region it hasn't filtered to us. When I

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apply for a job there is 1,000 applying for the job. The prospects

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for me are limited at the moment. We know that everyone is feeling

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the pinch in their back pocket, for some people it's harder than most.

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Here is one story. My name is Tammy, I'm 24, I'm a carer for the elderly.

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I live in Blackpool. I'm married, for four years. I have two boys.

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Andrew is age six and Adrian is aged four. I spend money on my

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council tax, rent, gas, water and electric. I'm cutting back on my

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food and shopping to save for electric and gas. I feel that we

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are being punished for working really. When we were on benefits it

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was easier. I make a budget list every week of what I have to pay

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out. At the end of it, it seems a small amount what is left. I would

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like to know when the cost of living is going to come down? We

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don't have a crystal ball, we do have Professor Alan Harding, an

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expert in the economy. When is the cost of living going to come down,

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what is your sense? Don't hold your breath would be my short answer to

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that question. There are two sides of this, aren't there? The way we

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experience the cost of living depends on what we earn. Partly on

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the cost of the stuff that we consume. On the earning side you

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will talk later on in the programme about the squeeze on earnings in

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the public and private sectors in recent years. On the other side, we

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know the cost of certain things. If you bought a computer five years

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ago you can get get a Bert computer than less than you paid then,

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energy, housing, food. Three big items in every family's expenditure.

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It's all going up. You talk about energy. Here is a really

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interesting statistic. The average debt to gas and electricity

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companies has more than doubled since 2005. If a person owed �320

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before they now owe �640. The number of people isn't going up.

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The poor are getting poorer. Tory MP, what are you doing about it?

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It's important to note that inflation will be coming down

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according to forecasts. That is good news. The Government made

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important steps in reducing what would of been the price of fuel

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under the previous government by 6p. It's important to keep on tackling

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the deficit. We will keep interest rates low and mortgage payments low

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which are important for households who are struggling to pay their

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mortgage payments. Is it worth the price we are paying? I have a young

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family of my own as well. You are a single mum. You won Dragon's Den?

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have a little boy. Similar situation to Tammy. It's hard.

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People are spending more. It's easy to get things on finance. You see

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adverts, "borrow money" it's 3,000% APR. So easy to borrow money and

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get things on finance nowadays. What Tammy said she used to be

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better on benefits. The changes to tax credits will mean that hard-

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working families are �65 a week worse off. Unless they get extra

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hours they will lose the tax credits. They could say to families,

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we will not penalise because you are prepared to get out of work and

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look after your family. There are other ways. We will change things

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with the Work Programme. 1 months. She could lose �65 a week. She

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can't manage. Let's see what the Chancellor has to say in the Budget.

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We made significant progress in terms of getting people out of tax.

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We made significant progress. Let's see what the Chancellor does. That

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is a real opportunity. You run a hair and beauty salon. What are

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people telling you about how life is? A lot of my clients have lost

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their jobs. Some of them have take an cut in their salary. It's had a

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serious impact on my business. The only way we have been able to

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combat it really is do special offers and... What - how do you

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respond to what he is saying about how they are helping the poor not

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to get poorer? I don't see how it will balance out the way the

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Government planned to deal with this issue. One of the reasons why

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is because I have girls who work for me, young girls, with families,

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similar to your self- -- yourself. They are struggling anyway. I'm the

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owner of a small business. If I'm expected to give them more hours,

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then some of them are going to have to go. If you look at what people

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are saying about the North West economy, we heard about good news

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and the manpower surveys more businesss are optimistic about

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taking more people on. We have to create an environment where there

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are more jobs. Is it really working? It is. You had your hand

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up there. See something believing. Go around the Trafford Centre and

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have a look, how many shops are closing down? We had 10,000 square

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footrest raupbt much we closed it down because of the rent prices. We

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have a unit down stairs, the rents are going up. The big boys should

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work... We will talk about the demise of the high street. You

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travelled from Cumbria Tony to be here. You are interested in how the

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fuel, you know, the cost of petrol is strangling people's domestic

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budgets. What do you want the Government to do about it?

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Certainly, the cost of fuel and energy generally is a major problem,

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not just for me and for others as individuals, as a small business,

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the energy costs we pay are crippling. My gas bill typically is

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about �200 a month. The electricity is not far short. That makes it

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very hard for any small business to survive. Is it difficult in Cumbria

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where using your car is the only way of getting about in a lot of

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cases? Getting around in Cumbria is a maidge o problem for businesses

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and visitors. You wanted to put your hand up there, Norman? For me,

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the economy has spent the last four years tightening the budgets,

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working within tight constraints. We are being told that the future

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growth of the economy is going to come from the SME market. Small

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business. There is no long-term strategy or direction to give us

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that confidence to drive our businesses forward. We are talking

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about business economy, what about personal economy? I hear what you

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are saying regarding how you will stimulate growth and jobs. If that

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is not translating into something real on the ground for people like

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me, and other people who are highly skilled - Is it the government's

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responsibility, do you not have to have personal responsibility, we

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are in difficult times, we are spending on the never ever...

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applied for 100 jobs and got two interviews that is not filtering

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through to people like me. We will move on and come back to that. What

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you were saying about high street and boarded up shops. We are

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feeling the pinch in our own pockets, we are not buying as much

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that leads to boarded up shops. Here is one story. I own a men's

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shop. We found it difficult over the last few years. Last year we

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thought we were going to go under. It was the worse year I had in

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retail. There were a lot of empty shopss. Businesses closing down.

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Woolworths went and other stores went. Half of the town centre was

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empty. The VAT came as a surprise. That didn't help at all. The

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business rates have gone up. We never had a decrease. The Trafford

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Centre around the corn certificate free parking. Here it is difficult

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to park. How can we get customers back on the high street spending

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money? Meet Michael Jones, it's a different situation. We imagine

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chestshire East doesn't have as many problems, what are you doing?

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We are working with the local businesss to make it work. We

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published a prospectus saying we are open for business. Come and

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invest in our high street. You can't rely on big stores coming

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down. You have to look at boutiques and get the community involved. We

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are doing that. In maxles field we are doing well with local markets.

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We haven't had much help in stock Stockport, we have been neglected

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over the last few years. When the recession hit in, Trafford Centre

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around the corner, free parking all the empty shopss, businesses are

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going down. Come to maxles field. We are getting the community who

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are creating community-led solution including our weekly market. There

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are community resolutions we can find working in partnership with

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councils and businesses. We are seeing success. Absolutely. I agree

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with Michael, I think the community issue is an important issue. Come

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to Stockport it's divided than Macclesfield. What was your

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perspective on it? It's important to improve the environment around

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shops. Where I live in Marple, four miles away, there are street

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markets regularly. There are food festivals. That comes from the

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bottom up. That comes from businesses wanting to improve their

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local district. That made a huge impact. Where do you get the sense

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of community spirit from. The North West has the highest proportion of

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vacant shop units of any UK region. 20%. Almost 20%. Hazel, and Anne,

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at the back When I was in government we set up a project to

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bring life back to shopping centres. This problem has been around for a

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long time. That meant local councils giving you relief on your

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rates, water. The cost that is strangle small businesses. We could

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do something about the VAT. When the VAT went up, I bet your sales

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went down? We could have a temporary reduction in VAT. Put

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money in people's pockets. At the moment, people are not spending

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because people, like Tammy, have no money to spend. When councils can't

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raise council tax, business rates are bound to go up, they have to

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find their revenue from somewhere? We have been lucky. We got the

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community together. We just outside Stockport, at the bottom of the

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food chain. We have a fish and chip shop there. We took a leap of faith.

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Shops were closing down at the rate of one every two months much we

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decided to open one of the efforty units. The council were supportive.

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The precinct is on the up. Who can give support and ideas to him, he

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wants to make a success of business? We need to look at the

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parking situation. You can't go into Manchester. If you look at

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House of Fraser, �6 to park. If you have a system where you get the

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redemption back. Parking is killing. It's a huge issue. I understand

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that Redcar abolished car parking charges and retail sales went up

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25% as a consequence. Max, and Michael, max your view? I mean, I

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think Liverpool is doing well. Actually the whole shopping estate

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in Liverpool isn't doing well. We had a historical pattern in the

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north North West that we have to look at again. Not every part of

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the shopping viability in the North West can provide for the future.

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People have to change. Do we have to go, the high street is dying, we

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can't do anything to save it. Is that the future? I think the high

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street is the future. It will not be normal shops, services, exciting

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things like farmer's markets. You could do a fashion shop show. In

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London there are fashion shops. If you have a fashion show you could

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get more people. You are in a business, what is your suggestion?

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You have to be pro-active and think of ways to encourage people to use

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your business. You have to think outside of the box. When business

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rates are going up, VAT is going up, you are on a down ward spiral, how

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do you do that? How do councils support businesses? We talk to

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retailers and the owners of properties like Scottish Widows and

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talking about how to develop the new future. It's over for the

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traditional high street. Do we accept that? It is over for the

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traditional high street it's the community high street. There is an

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opportunity for everyone. It's about entertainment, eating, night

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life. It's about providing the offer that brings people out who

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will spend six or seven hours doing a range of things in which shopping

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is part of it. Who is spearheading this? Who will do this? Some of the

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work that happened before with the Mary Portas project which will

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energise communities and give greater empowerment to them. There

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is an opportunity to become a Porta pilot. We are doing that in

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Macclesfield. There will be other communities bidding against us,

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that is great. There has been a shift in the people's spending

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habits. Technology allowed people to buy in different ways. It's very,

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very different now. I have a relative of mine who has a small

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shop, they do most of their business in dress making over

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Facebook, by having a virtual shop so they have a presence somewhere

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else. People are calling and asking for dresses from here and there.

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it a case of adapt or die? You have to adapt and bring in new ideas and

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change to give it an increase. hope that you do that. We want you

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to succeed. Absolutely. That is what is happening on the high

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street. Let's talk about what is happening in the public sector,

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shall we now. Huge story there. We have seen cuts to libraries, social

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services, benefits and, ultimately, for some it means the end of their

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job. My name is Brian, I have worked here for 33 years. The

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company was opened after the Second World War. They opened about 17

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sites at the beginning. We ended up with 90 odd sites. We are now in a

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place where they want to close everything. They will throw us on

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the scrap heap. I'm at the end. They have taken my job away, my

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dignity away. They are taking the reason why I get up in the morning.

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They are taking my life away. Can you tell me, how is this going to

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help me as a person, and other disabled people, when you are

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making us redundant? Very powerful film there from you Brian. Jackie,

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you work with Breakthrough UK, you help disabled people. You get a

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sense there that losing your job is not only about losing your job, but

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also your dignity? You are absolutely. The unemployment rate

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of disabled people is twice that of non-disabled people. There is some

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work to do with employers to encourage employers to understand

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that the barriers that disable people face in the workplace are

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something they can do something about easily. Brian, presumably,

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your point is, look, everybody is struggling to get a job, by these

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cuts you feel more unfairly targeted, do you? Yes. Talk to

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David. Remploy, you are going to close Remploy down. I don't think

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you have thought it through at all. You want to put 1,700 people this

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time on the dole. I know you are going to say you will find...

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do you work, where? Wigan. I was speaking to a business on Friday

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who employ, or contract out to Remploy, in Bolton. They were

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asking me about the situation. What they are keen to do is to seek to

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reemploy some of the people from Remploy to give them the work. They

:19:56.:20:01.

do a fantastic job. The problem with Remploy. This isn't trying to

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focus in on making things difficult for disabled people, it's the

:20:06.:20:09.

overheads have been staggering, the cost of trying to provide the jobs.

:20:09.:20:14.

We need to tackle that and make sure we can build on your skills

:20:14.:20:21.

and find you jobs through private - What are the figures? I don't have

:20:21.:20:28.

them. It was �25,000 per head. That is wrong, it's �18,000. That is a

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high statistic. There are lower cost solutions that will help you

:20:33.:20:38.

use your kills. Let's find a solution to get the skills and keep

:20:38.:20:46.

the people in the jobs. Jackie? There are different solutions.

:20:46.:20:50.

Remploy was set up after the Second World War to get disabled ex-

:20:50.:20:55.

service men and women into work. It's out dated in the way it

:20:55.:20:59.

provides services, in the way in which it provides employment for

:20:59.:21:05.

disabled people, it needs to move on and move on koct constructively.

:21:05.:21:08.

Subsidising people into work isn't the way forward. You can get eight

:21:08.:21:14.

people into work for every one that you subsidise in Remploy. What

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would you d for Brian, have the cuts been fair? They haven't been

:21:19.:21:23.

fair, no. It's very difficult for people who are losing long-term

:21:23.:21:27.

employment. There should be ways in which that money is spent

:21:27.:21:31.

productively to ensure that more disabled people get employment. One

:21:31.:21:35.

in five disabled people, one in five people are disabled in the

:21:35.:21:39.

North West. That is a huge chunk of the economy, both from spending

:21:39.:21:44.

power and from... If they are not employed a huge waste of energy.

:21:44.:21:51.

You wanted to say something? biggest fear, along with Brian, is

:21:51.:21:55.

knowing there are 2.5 million people unemployed across the

:21:55.:22:01.

country, by now making up to 1,760, which could follow up to nearly

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3,000 furthermore disabled people, my biggest fear is, what quality of

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life is a disabled person, am I going to have, knowing I will be

:22:12.:22:18.

made redundant. This government is making me redundant. What quality

:22:18.:22:22.

of life have I? Jackie said there is 100,000 in the North West.

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Remploy is not just a business, it's a community for them people.

:22:27.:22:31.

understand. What I think we need to do is find other solutions where

:22:31.:22:35.

they are mutual organisations, get people together with the skills you

:22:35.:22:39.

are able to use. Based on my experience there are people out

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there who want it take you on. Want to employ people who worked at

:22:43.:22:50.

Remploy. Let's find solutions for them. It isn't just about a

:22:50.:22:57.

disabled situation. It's a wider. 23% of people in the North West

:22:57.:23:03.

work in the public sector. We rely on public sector jobs here more

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anywhere else. Steve Stock from unison, what impact is this

:23:09.:23:13.

potential pay freeze going to have that we heard about just this

:23:13.:23:15.

weekend? Not potential. It's happening. Local government workers

:23:15.:23:21.

have had two years of a pay freeze, in their third year. Will it

:23:21.:23:28.

unfairly impact people up here? pay freezes here and its hitting

:23:28.:23:34.

the pockets of ordinary workers very hard. Very hard indeed. Brian?

:23:34.:23:42.

I am member of the Nation until -- National Museum. At the moment

:23:42.:23:48.

there were so much trimming. You mentioned about public sector and

:23:48.:23:58.

voluntary sector. Year-on-year cuts by DCMS. What is that Department of

:23:58.:24:02.

Culture, Media and Sport. This cutting we had about 18 voluntary

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retirement from last year. Now we have to face the next cut. It's 150.

:24:08.:24:13.

Where are the jobs going to come from? Who has an answer? It's not

:24:13.:24:20.

about the pay freezes, it's about job losses. 635 public sector

:24:20.:24:26.

workers jobs lost erday since this Government came into power. We are

:24:26.:24:30.

too dependant on the public sector in the North West. Over the ten

:24:30.:24:36.

years before the credit crunch 117,000 public sector jobs, only

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17,000 in the private sector. wants to take this on. It's easy to

:24:41.:24:48.

use that phrase. What about the nurses, the people who work in the

:24:48.:24:52.

health service, carers, front line staff doing essential jobs. The

:24:52.:24:57.

women in the North West have been hard hit by the public sector cuts,

:24:57.:25:06.

they are low paid, part-time workers. It's easy to use that

:25:06.:25:11.

emotive language, bobbies on the beat and nurses. 23% of the

:25:11.:25:15.

workforce being in the public sector that creates a culture of

:25:15.:25:19.

dependency not one of entrepreneurship and invasion. We

:25:19.:25:23.

need more people like Kirstie, sat next to you. I want my police

:25:23.:25:26.

officers when I'm in trouble. I want them to be there for me.

:25:26.:25:32.

growth has to come from the private sector. The SME's are important to

:25:32.:25:36.

our national and regional economy they are the engine of growth.

:25:36.:25:42.

Banks should not be funding start- ups. Banks need to lend where they

:25:42.:25:47.

will get 99% certainty to get their money back. There is funding

:25:47.:25:50.

available. It's not as easy as walking down to your bank. They

:25:50.:25:54.

need to be informed to understand that. Let's look at one person's

:25:54.:25:59.

story about, who is struggling to find a job and we will carry on

:25:59.:26:05.

this debate. I'm 20 years of age and looking for a job. I went to

:26:05.:26:14.

college and did my Level 1 Child Care. I got a contracted job as a

:26:15.:26:19.

teaching assistant. While I was on the course we learnt job skills,

:26:19.:26:26.

interview techniques, motivation. To get a job I'm looking online, on

:26:26.:26:32.

different websites and in the paper or on the Jobcentre information

:26:32.:26:39.

page. I come back here a lot to use the computers and there are staff

:26:39.:26:43.

around if I need a hand. Not having a job is really hard when you are

:26:44.:26:47.

paying your own bills much you want to support yourself really. I would

:26:47.:26:53.

like to know what is being done to help people like me find work?

:26:53.:26:58.

Coral is here sitting next to Luke. You have a history degree, what are

:26:59.:27:06.

you doing for work? I'm working in a supermarket. What value does your

:27:06.:27:11.

degree hold? In the workplace I have there are four people with

:27:11.:27:17.

degrees and one with a PHD. That is saying something is wrong. It's a

:27:17.:27:21.

job afterall, are you grateful for the job? I am. I took forever,

:27:21.:27:26.

almost it seems like, to get this job. What does that tell us? What

:27:26.:27:31.

does that tell us about where we are? Talk to Luke, what does this

:27:31.:27:37.

tell us where we are in the North West when one with a degree is

:27:37.:27:45.

working in a supermarket and is grateful for it. We have 80% of the

:27:45.:27:50.

Morrison jobs for local people by battling. The issue around

:27:50.:27:55.

graduates, it's heartbreaking when you are worked, seen yourself

:27:55.:27:59.

through college and great ambitions. Some jobs in supermarkets could

:27:59.:28:03.

lead you to the Board. We need investment in this region.

:28:03.:28:06.

Investment in our creative industries. We have great business

:28:06.:28:10.

people in the room. Kevin here, Norman here. Investment in bio

:28:10.:28:15.

sciences in this region could help to drive the economy. Aet's find

:28:15.:28:21.

out. From my experience, we have recruited 15 people last year. I

:28:21.:28:26.

took technical sales graduate on this year. You are quite correct, I

:28:26.:28:31.

had 300 CVs that came through the door for that one position. It's

:28:31.:28:35.

very heartbreaking when you see people who work very hard, spent

:28:35.:28:40.

time getting these degrees. The jobs aren't there. We can create a

:28:40.:28:46.

number of jobs. We can't take this... Make this gap up. It's very

:28:46.:28:50.

difficult. I've children who are going through university right now.

:28:50.:28:55.

They will face the same situation. Let's look at one statistic. North

:28:55.:28:59.

West saw the biggest rise of unemployment in any UK region

:28:59.:29:03.

between November and January, 16,000. Is it a case now of

:29:03.:29:06.

thinking, forget your history degree, it's not a passion, it

:29:06.:29:11.

might not get you a job. Is it apprenticeships? The skills have to

:29:11.:29:16.

be pointing in the right direction in the skills that will grow. If

:29:16.:29:21.

our fund, we have three sector funds. Do we have the skill set in

:29:21.:29:27.

the North West? Are we informing young people enough... We selected

:29:27.:29:32.

those sectors because there is a experience pool in the North West

:29:32.:29:37.

of great facilities, media cities on the creative side. It will take

:29:37.:29:46.

time. We have 500 apprenticeship s. Young people need to know about

:29:46.:29:49.

that. I have a sense that everything has been drawn to London.

:29:49.:29:53.

It's all going down south. We need a champion for the North West who

:29:53.:29:59.

will speak up, be our advocate and get our young people into jobs. Yes

:29:59.:30:04.

it is. It is going down to London now. The Government drivers say to

:30:05.:30:09.

me there are no ministers doing visits in the North West much we

:30:09.:30:14.

need a champ champion up here that will make our case. Norman, you are

:30:14.:30:19.

an employer. What is their future here? I don't think it will be

:30:19.:30:22.

fixed with one simple thing. We have to look at long-term strategy.

:30:22.:30:27.

We have to look at some sensible, short-term solutions which will

:30:27.:30:33.

inspire confidence and give us growth. How will that help Luke and

:30:33.:30:39.

Coral. Coral what, what do you think? I have been on different

:30:39.:30:42.

courses. I have been on the return to work course, I have got the

:30:42.:30:46.

skills. I don't have a degree or nothing like that. What I do have

:30:47.:30:51.

is the experience and stuff. I'm keen to work. I did have a job,

:30:51.:30:55.

which was cut because it was only a contracted job because of funding.

:30:55.:31:00.

I find it really hard there isn't anything there. I agree with the

:31:00.:31:05.

point about long-term strategies. There is no simple answer. We need

:31:05.:31:09.

in the North West the climate for entrepreneurship, the guys on my

:31:09.:31:13.

right had a student loan. Why aren't we lending at young people

:31:13.:31:19.

at 16 or 17 who want to set up their own business? This country

:31:19.:31:23.

50% want to be in business. We need to ask the Government through the

:31:23.:31:27.

Budget to create a climate where young people, who haven't done a

:31:27.:31:31.

history degree, nothing wrong with that, go with their skills and

:31:31.:31:37.

create that entrepreneurship. are from Tranmere University, what

:31:37.:31:41.

do you think? What Hazel was saying before, there isn't enough

:31:42.:31:46.

education given to 16, 17, 18-year- old in terms of where to go to get

:31:46.:31:51.

this help. Luke is saying that he doesn't know these courses and

:31:51.:31:57.

everything that he can to get experience. There is not enough

:31:57.:32:02.

education. In the midst of all this gloom, we are going to talk success

:32:02.:32:07.

and the future and where the answers maybe. Take a look at this.

:32:07.:32:14.

I'm Kevin Bird of EDM Limited we are a specialist training and

:32:14.:32:18.

simulation company providing exports around the world. We

:32:18.:32:23.

manufacturer training and simulation equipment include bg

:32:23.:32:29.

cockpit trainers. Our markets have been Ministry of Defence, but we

:32:29.:32:32.

recognised that we had to move overseas to develop further.

:32:32.:32:35.

Throughout this recession we have grown the business. We have

:32:35.:32:41.

continued to be able to recruit staff and we have focused on

:32:41.:32:44.

creating apprenticeships within the business. China is a developing

:32:44.:32:47.

market in terms of international air traffic. We recognise that

:32:47.:32:52.

training in that sector was going to be a progressive business for us.

:32:52.:32:57.

We need Government to be supportive and strategic for us and for

:32:57.:33:00.

business across this country to export our way out of the trouble

:33:00.:33:04.

that we are currently in. Kevin there, who is here, is the man who

:33:05.:33:09.

could give work to Luke or to Coral or anybody else looking for it. Are

:33:09.:33:13.

you doing enough to support people like Kevin who want to help the

:33:13.:33:20.

North West economy? Absolutely. you Absolutely. The SMEs and the

:33:20.:33:23.

growth SMEs generate are fundamental to our future. Whether

:33:23.:33:28.

it's growth or export markets or getting into a new market on a

:33:28.:33:30.

domestic front if you need investment for that that is what we

:33:30.:33:35.

are here to do and drive employment as part of that. The North West is

:33:35.:33:39.

ranked second in the UK for export- led growth potential. That is what

:33:39.:33:43.

we are told here. Is that where we need to be looking? We used to be,

:33:43.:33:47.

with the Port of Liverpool, we used to look out on the world and the

:33:47.:33:52.

world came to us, is that what we need to do again? We are working

:33:52.:33:55.

within severely constrained times. In terms of lending, you have to

:33:55.:33:59.

have a healthy balance sheet. You have to have a good performing

:34:00.:34:05.

company. How do you get to that point? It's a catch 22. Providing

:34:05.:34:08.

employment is critical to any business moving forward. Have you

:34:08.:34:14.

to think outside the box and stay one to 10 steps ahead of your

:34:14.:34:17.

competition. The future is in the new mind sets coming threw.

:34:17.:34:20.

came from the south and set up business in the North West whasm is

:34:20.:34:26.

unique about where we live? What can we offer? Let's be positive?

:34:26.:34:29.

Have a dynamic environment. It's about people, you are absolutely

:34:29.:34:33.

right. The amount of enthusiasm and commitment and passion in this

:34:33.:34:38.

region is outstanding. I have not experienced it anywhere else.

:34:38.:34:41.

What is happening at the moment is this realisation that there are

:34:41.:34:44.

opportunities in a global economy. No good to just think you can sell

:34:44.:34:48.

to the guy down the road. It's about thinking there are

:34:48.:34:52.

opportunities in India, China and using the opportunities from export

:34:52.:34:57.

licences, from credit support, for businesses like his to go overseas

:34:57.:35:04.

and sell their wares. Kirstie, what is it you do, food? Healthy food

:35:04.:35:11.

brand called Kirsties. I was on Dragon's Den because I could not

:35:11.:35:16.

get money from mi why else. If I go to the bank, if I went to the bank

:35:16.:35:20.

two years ago, with an attempted business plan, I didn't know how to

:35:20.:35:24.

write one. It was a no, no. They say they are lending, they are not.

:35:24.:35:29.

We have to go to other places to get finance. You have to look out

:35:30.:35:36.

for where... The Chinese market, is that where we have to be looking?

:35:36.:35:45.

The growth sector is our students. I was at Manchester University,

:35:45.:35:50.

10,000 Chinese study in the North West from Lancaster, Preston, all

:35:50.:35:59.

over. 10,000, 20,000 fees, plus living, all the industry to

:35:59.:36:08.

everybody. You think the academia. If Tranmere were to open a shop in

:36:08.:36:13.

China, you would make a fortune. Take that back with you. The last

:36:13.:36:18.

bit I want to say. In the North West there is no, in the North West

:36:18.:36:26.

we have something to say. There is a cohesive policy it's

:36:27.:36:32.

disintegrated. We have Cheshire enterprise, who is going to lead

:36:32.:36:38.

intervention? Two comments. One from Max and Alan? You have to be

:36:38.:36:45.

ambitious. We went to Shanghai. We signed over 50 deals ranging from

:36:45.:36:50.

�5,000 to �500,000. The markets are there. They will come to this

:36:50.:36:55.

country and invest. We have to look outwards and that is where our

:36:55.:36:59.

money will come from that is where our economy will come from?

:36:59.:37:03.

Absolutely. Universities are big global businesses in their own

:37:03.:37:10.

right. Who worries me is that the more we go down in concentrating

:37:10.:37:14.

research resources into many few places, they happen to be in the

:37:14.:37:17.

south, Oxford, Cambridge and London, the more we ignore the development

:37:17.:37:22.

of those things we are good at. North West, Kevin, we end with you.

:37:22.:37:26.

The North West, what position are we in from your point of view, is

:37:26.:37:30.

there something we can go away going, yeah, we should be positive,

:37:30.:37:34.

no matter what? We have a great heritage. A will the of businesses

:37:34.:37:38.

started in the north west. If you are pro-active and focused and you

:37:38.:37:43.

can see opportunities, there are, there are success stories out there.

:37:43.:37:47.

Businesses can grow. Businesses can develop. It -- it will have to be

:37:47.:37:53.

exports. That is where we will end it. Brian, Luke, Coral, anybody in

:37:53.:37:56.

our film, thank you very much. Thank you all for coming. Straw

:37:56.:38:02.

poll at the end. How many of you feel more positive? Anybody more

:38:02.:38:09.

optimistic now than they were at the beginning? You are waivering.

:38:09.:38:14.

There are fewer of you optimistic now. Right, OK. Thank you so much

:38:14.:38:18.

for all of you being here. The Budget is this week. We will be

:38:18.:38:21.

waiting with bated breath to see what George Osborne has to deliver.

:38:22.:38:27.

You can follow any of those developments across the BBC on

:38:27.:38:30.

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