What do the May 2025 local election results mean for English devolution?
In this Espresso Shot episode, David and Mike unpack the economic development and placemaking implications of the May 2025 local government elections in England. These saw the Reform Party gain two Combined Authority Mayors and control of several councils. They explore what this shift means for local growth, devolution, and regional collaboration. What does the future hold for the cohesion of pan-regional partnerships in northern England or the Oxford–Cambridge corridor?
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10:59
Power cuts and cyber attacks - economic development in the age of perma-crisis
In this Espresso Shot episode, David and Mike explore how local leadership teams can build resilience into economic development and place-making strategies in an age of perma- crisis. Reflecting on recent power outages and cyber attacks, extreme weather and infrastructure shocks, they discuss how places can prepare for the unexpected. Drawing on lessons from recent crises and long-term planning approaches, they examine the trade-offs between efficiency and resilience—and what it means for the future of local growth.
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10:52
Can Innovation Districts and Knowledge Quarters deliver genuinely inclusive growth?
David and Mike are joined by Emma Frost, Chair of the UK Innovation Districts Group, to explore how innovation districts can drive inclusive growth. They discuss the essential ingredients of successful districts, how to manage the risks of exclusion and gentrification, and why collaborative leadership and long-term thinking can unlock their full potential.
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45:33
What can local leaders do when faced with a major site closure like British Steel?
What can local leaders do when faced with the closure of a major employment site like British Steel in Scunthorpe that the UK government stepped in to save? When thousands of jobs are at stake is there a rulebook to follow or is politics all?
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10:45
Trump, tariffs, and local economic development
What does an aggressively protectionist US trade policy mean for local economies in the States and further afield? Can it re-industrialise Appalachia, or is it doomed to fail?
Podcast about local economic development and placemaking. Co-hosted by Mike Spicer of PolicyDepartment and David Marlow of Third Life Economics. Mike, David and guests address the divisive, often unspoken issues facing economic development professionals in 2020s Britain.
Website:
www.ledconfidential.co.uk
UK