The North West Development Agency (NWDA) for anyone not aware is basically an organisation headquartered in Warrington which is charged with distributing funding throughout the North West. But do really need such an expensive ‘middle man’ to perform this function?
This quango costs about £500m a year which could easily be better spent elsewhere as far as I am concerned. The Taxpayers Alliance support my statement that these RDAs are a waste of money.
Their useless Preston-loving jobsworth of a Chief Executive Steve Broomhead is paid almost as much as the PM at a staggering £171k and as you can imagine the only reason he is resisting the abolition of these wasteful organisations is to save his obscene salary.
The Conservatives have unveiled plans which I strongly support to scrap these expensive middle-men and hand funding responsibilities to local government level cutting out the middle-man. All RDAs do is add another of bureaucracy to an already red-tape covered system. Labour are scaremongering against these plans with their usual childish cries of ‘Tory cuts’. Why can’t Labour supporters (like them on the Gasjet) grasp the simple concept you can’t keep spending when your bank balance is in the red.
I think scrapping the NWDA would save billions in wasted money and best of jobsworths like Broomhead will be eradicated. There is too much wasteful bureaucracy in this country along with a massive deficit I feel abolishing these wasteful quangos is a step in the right direction.
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He is a waste of space, like this government,a superfluous layer of inept bureaucracy, managed by a muppet.
Useless human beings equation.
steve broomhead = steve shithead= steve weaver = 0
but costs 1000000′s
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This whole Government is a waste of space. LIEBOUR OUT 2010 MARSDEN OUT 2010
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In 10 years time I want to see a piece of human excrement in a case in the (un) natural history museum, marked: LABOUR.
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Useless Quango – definitely. In fact most government is.
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The whole budget for NWDA is £500million per year – less than 5% of that is spent on running costs and salaries, the rest pays for regional improvements etc.
The only two alternatives are that the money is centrally controlled (London in charge of setting the agenda for Liverpool and Manchester anyone?) or having it controlled by the Northwest Local Authorities which will mean even more bureaucracy as there’s over 50 of them!!
Careful what you wish for….
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One of Labour’s key promises in their 1997 manifesto was to boost local economic growth with Regional Development Agencies. So a decade on how do they fare?
For every £1 the NWDA uses in tax payers money returns £5.20 of economic benefit for the North West – http://www.nwda.co.uk/about-us/our-performance.aspx. The report was carried out by Price waterhouseCoopers (an independent private sector company). If a private sector company could produce profits like that would you invest in it?
Manchester successfully showcased the Commonwealth Games in 2002, not only creating lots of jobs, but it created an genuine legacy (SportCity) in one of the most deprived parts of England. The Commonwealth Games established Manchester as England’s second city. Thus increasing it’s profile for inward investment and profile as an alternative to London. The money for this came from New East Manchester, a company set up with Manchester City Council, English Partnerships and the NWDA;
Liverpool hosted the Capital Of Culture in 2008. The Liverpool Capital of Culture programme secured a total income of £130 million over six years, the highest for any European Capital of Culture to date. Again the NWDA was one of the main funders of this;
The floods that affected Cumbria in 2009 the NWDA were one of the first organisations to ensure businesses/ local people were catered for – http://www.nwemail.co.uk/home/nwda_pledges_up_to_1m_for_flood_hit_cumbria_businesses?referrerPath=2.1806
I appreciate that certain people will always associate Quangos with non-accountability status but Labour set up the NWDA to counter addresses the disparity that other regions suffered from in terms of funds. The Tories neglected the regions outside the South East/London during their reign.
David Cameron talks about localism (interesting speak coming from a Thatcherite, no such thing as society – http://www.margaretthatcher.org/speeches/displaydocument.asp?docid=106689)
Interestingly no-one who has posted an opinion above has offered an alternative suggestion on how to spend the £500million. Local Economic Partnerships? Hand over the cash to Local Authorities who don’t have the capacity, experience, knowledge, overall policy agenda that it best for the region. Good luck. But if you go down this route please don’t waste my hard working tax on this.
In the words of Damster, careful what you wish for.
Chances
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What have the NWDA done for Blackpool and Wyre?
I remember a comment by Steve Broomhead talking about Wyre, how it had been neglected;very true but by the NWDA? it would seem so!
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I will be glad to see the abolition of RDAs, that moaning socialist oldbloke was banging on this morning about how the Tories plan to abolish them and we will get no investment. He has clearly missed the point and needs to get his facts straight, they plan to abolish costly and wasteful quangos like the NWDA and distribute funding straight from Central to Local Government, cutting out an unecessary tier of bureaucracy, what’s wrong with that? I agree also Harold what have they done for Blackpool, NWDA fans out there remember it was the NWDA that gave Liverpool Council a grant to poach B&M off us costing us 700 jobs. I love Liverpool but they have had more than their fair share of regeneration funding and I think it is about bloody time Blackpool got some.
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Why, is 65 million for trams not enough? Plus whatever it put into the promenade, St Johns etc.
Incidents like the B&M move just show what a travesty it is that such a large sum of cash got pumped into the trams when it could have achieved so much more.
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Fair point but why do we need a multi-billion pound quango with overpaid jobsworths like Steve Broomhead to distribute funding to us? That’s what I am saying. It is just more Labour waste.
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I agree TB, labour is WASTE.
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In fairness someone has to do it. Whether it be labelled NWDA or just be a part of Government, the jobs would still exist.
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NWDA are scum , promoting anal rape.
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Harold, I take it you are voting Labour? You do realise they’re other political parties in your area? Apparently the BNP might on your voting sheet.
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The report was carried out by Price waterhouseCoopers
Auditors in puffed-up reporting shocker!
Also, in this week’s edition:
- Bears caught shitting in the woods!
- Vatican believed to be Catholic stronghold
- Sky ‘could be blue’ – scientists
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Does a new born baby cry?
Did Little Red Riding wear a hood?
Did the three bears shit in the woods?
Was Humpty Dumpty fat?
Does the Pope wear a funny hat?
Is wrestling fixed?
So John what you are saying is that private sector respected company has puffed-up (?) reported their independent findings? Are you suggesting since the inception of the NWDA the following facts have been ‘puffed-up’?
• Created or safeguarded 222,000 jobs
• Created 23,000 new businesses
• Reclaimed 4,700 ha of brownfield land
• Levered £3.2 billion private sector investment
• Awarded a “Performing Strongly” rating in the National Audit Office’s Independent Performance Assessment
Wow, those people who have safeguarded their jobs or those people who have set up their businesses will be very annoyed to discover that it was all a dream (or ‘puffed-up’).
Still not to worry the Dave will save us all through the Local Economic Partnerships. Well unless of course we decide to stay in the North West and are willing to go cap in hand to Dave in Westminster and ask ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’
Fun times ahead for the North if Dave and his chums from Eton College get voted in.
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Anybody else want to have a go at feeding the Labour troll/ quangocrat?
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John
The Tories actually created more Quangos whilst they were in power than Labour (MT, The Milk Snatcher loved them as they were politically beneficial to her.)
I knew when I posted my original post that this is a right-wing thinking forum. Therefore, I was expecting most people to disagree with the points I’ve made. That’s democracy. But it’s pathetic that you can’t even defend your own views, instead you are encouraging other people to do it for you.
Bring it on!
Chances
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WTF do I care about the Tories on this? I don’t dispute that they set up shedloads of quangos, but then I haven’t even mentioned them!
They won’t abolish the RDAs, so we’ll be pretty much where we are now with them – milking money from the taxpayer and hosing it around elsewhere.
You want me to make a point? Fine.
You’re working under the assumption that those jobs, businesses and investments wouldn’t have existed if it wasn’t for the sainted efforts of the NWDA, who obviously know how to spend other people’s money far better than the people themselves. I disagree. But that probably makes me a mate of “Dave” from Eton, doesn’t it, because I disagree with you?
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when losing an argument, blame the tories…………….
we have had labour paedophiles in power for the laat 13 years.
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Well said Harold, I got the same from ‘oldbloke’ on the Gasjet this morning. I pointed out the many failures of this Liebour Government and he just started blaming everything on the Tories.
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oldbloke = retarded frog, lol
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The Tories created the disparity between the North and the SE/London through their Southern based initiatives whilst they were in power during the 80′s/early 90′s.
Harold, at what point have I lost the argument? Yes, I blame the Tories. Their track record towards the North is rubbish, prove me wrong. Engage me with ideas that the Tories have the best interests of the North. They had their chance (1979-2007).
The NWDA was set up to counteract the issues such as urban regeneration and economic development. Whilst you criticise the NWDA they served a purpose to influence Westminster to think outside their own parochial point of view. MediaCity in Salford Quays would’ve never happened under the Tories. The BBC is moving some major departments up North. Would the Tories do this? Sorry forgot to mention it was the NWDA who instigated and delivered this.
So you think your Local Authority will deliver the same value for money? I like the idea that every Local Authority will be bidding against each other for piece of the pie. No mention of the overall policy decisions (something the NWDA does via the Regional Economic Strategy). Heard about the Atlantic Gateway? – http://www.nwda.co.uk/news–events/press-releases/201001/atlantic-gateway-strategy.aspx. Read it and weep! Local areas getting together to improve the North West economy.
Local Authorities don’t have the capacity nor the influence to work in silos which could benefit the region. The NWDA was set up for this reason.
Harold, I’ve just read your comments about rape and paedophiles. Not sure if Gary Glitter is up for election in your area but if he isn’t The Tories, BNP and UKIP will be on your voting sheet. Decisions, decsions.
PS Harold, sorry for the big words in this blog. Thesaurus might be a friend.
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You can’t just keep saying ‘this wouldn’t have happened under the Tories’ that is just the typical Labour point of view. Praise Labour when things go right, blame the Tories when things go wrong. You can’t prove whether these things would happen or not. The Regional Strategy is a load of rubbish also because people can just ignore as they please. The Regional Spatial Strategy states that Preston is a second tier town and should recieve investment/development on par with Blackpool, Blackburn etc, yet that’s not good enough for Preston. They come up with the monstrously oversized Tithebarn project which clearly contravenes the RSS, yet Broomhead the jobsworth Chief Executive of the NWDA has thrown his support behind it and blasted anyone who dares to object, I don’t call that proportionate development.
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Nope gary isnt up for election but Nulabour are.
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Margaret Thatcher is NOT a ‘milk snatcher’ will people stop peddling that old myth. It was Harold Wilson that stopped free milk in schools, Margaret Thatcher just continued on from him. Also please desist with the class snobbery. The Conservatives are NOT all public school boys. Look at the Labour frontbench many of them are upper crust public school and Oxbridge grads. Two of the most well-known socialists in history Clement Atlee and Michael Foot are both public school boys and look at Gordon Marsden. But anyhow it doesn’t bother me, politicians should not be judged based on what school they went to, something lefties seems obsessed with but they should be judged on the person. It sounds like you are just jealous of Mr Cameron for getting a good start in life. I agree with John Bickerstaffe we could have had all those things without RDAs costing us billions not to mention the massive overinflated salaries of jobsworths like Steve Broomhead.
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spot on TB, Labour is the party of waste, lies,debt,PC and jobsworths.
LABOUR OUT 2010!
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I think you’ll find that Maggie did indeed end free milk for 7-11 yr olds when she was Education Secretary in 1971. even though she privately disagreed with it!.
Harold Wilson’s Labour government stopped free milk for secondary school pupils in 1968
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Blackpudlian (does this phrase really exist? I thought it was Sandgrown’uns but what would I know, being born in Bispham?)
Please stop your right-wing/Tory propaganda. During Maggie Twatcher’s reign she once was the Education Minister. And I quote “Opposition is growing to Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher’s plans to end free school milk for children over the age of seven.”
The bill received its second reading last night. It was passed by 281 votes to 248, a government major ity Blackpudlian of 33.
You don’t belive me? http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/15/newsid_4486000/4486571.stm
Blackpudlian, you want to see tax payers being wasted let’s both agree when Twatcher snuffs it there is no state funeral. It makes sense, theTories are all for cutting Public Sector costs (can you immigine the amount of money being spent on this).
You’ve called my bluff in terms of being of jealous. Seriously whilst I was working in my 20’s I decided to pack it all in and go to University. Grrrrrrrrrr gutted that I got a decent education with a 2:1 as a mature student whilst funding myself. I personally blamed the Tories for all my hard work.
However, Dave had to work that much harder. Ahem – http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/15/newsid_4486000/4486571.stm
In terms of getting rid of the NWDA what is your alternative plan? That’s the thing that really intrigues me. Bucketloads of soundbites but no substance. Typical Tory. Offer me a future. Seriously what would you do differently?
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Yes there is such phrase as Blackpudlian, it is simply lesser used and if it was made-up, its irrelevant to me. My comment is not ‘propaganda’ it was LABOUR PM Wilson who ended free school milk first. If you worked hard and got to university then good for you. I don’t know when you went to university but remember under the Conservatives you got a FREE education with a grant until 1998 when Labour took away free education and brought tuition fees in. Now I face crippling debts for trying to better myself by returning to follow a new career path. Especially as Mandelson wants to let the universities charge what they like. As for RDAs I have explained already cut out the [expensive] middle-man and sack useless overpaid jobsworths like Broomhead.
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“As for RDAs I have explained already cut out the [expensive] middle-man and sack useless overpaid jobsworths like Broomhead”.
For goodness sake that isn’t an argument. Offer me an alternative, You’ve offered me a soundbite.
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No it is not a soundbite, it is a plan, cut out the middle man by distributing funding from Central to Local Government its a simple as that. RDAs are just another case of Labour adding more layers of bureaucracy.
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So pass the cash onto Local Authorities who don’t have the expertise, skills, capacity to deliver what is required? Quangos exist for a reason. They can cut through the politics. I’ll give you an example for the sake of argument, say Labour get voted back in and they decide to get rid of the Regional Development Agencies. Instead they decide to distribute the cash to those Councils that voted Labour as opposed to any other political parties.
The NWDA acts as policy driven body influencing Central Government looking at the best interests of the region. I appreciate I will never convert you with you political point of view. I want the best for my region I personally believe having an element of local financial influence from a body that understands the local need as opposed to pebbledashing the cash amongst the other parts of the NW doesn’t benefit the region as whole.
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Is Chances one of the Duffys, or another anti TB merchant Phil?
There is s certain ring to their comments.
“In business, always be the middleman”,Micahel Gambon, Layer cake.
Seems the NWRDA know this and exploit this,if they have all this expertise why not employ them in local government and go direct to the government?
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Most of your arguments are to assume that the Tories wouldn’t commit funding to the various projects the NWDA has been involved in, though. How can you possibly know that?
And then to blame the Government that was in 30 or 40 years ago. That’s just bizarre and irrelevant to anything that’s going on now.
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also whats to say local authorities cant or do not have the expertise to know how to spend the money?
After all they are closer to the issues?
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well said TB, nobody has answered my question, just what has the NWRDA done for Blackpool and Wyre?
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NWDA is a useless organisation for most of the area. Great if you live in an area labelled as deprived (East Lancs milltowns and Blackpool) but the rest of us get nothing from it whilst having to pay towards it. More is spent on public parks etc. in these “deprived areas” so the better areas go to pot and the bad ones get temporarily improved before they are vandalised. Why should I as a Fylde resident have to pay more and more in council tax for other councils to benefit?
It was only ever a pathetic attempt to silence the English that they weren’t allowed their own regional government whilst every other country in the UK was. That way we don’t have a voice now when the Scots and Welsh nationalists are teaming together to promise to go with Gordon in a hung pariliament as long as English money is taken and diverted to them in even greater quantities than before. Meanwhile money’s been diverted into cities in the main – the big Labour areas where the % unemployed is always highest and people in the towns commute to to do the actual work that generates the money for them. Labour fair? Is it hell. It takes not from the rich but the hard-working (who aren’t all families) and diverts to the feckless and reckless who’ll never be any different by just throwing money at them. Keeping people poor and voting Labour is the name of the game and keeping the Champagne socialists in the manner to which they are now accustomed – which the expenses scandal showed them to be – not that they’ll really have to play fair over what they’ve already done, or propose to do in the future.
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Should have pointed out that what particularly galls is how council tax rather than a national tax such as income tax (which you only have to pay if you have the income to do so) is now being diverted to Labour voting areas as some sort of voting bribe.
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Okay, you win. The future of the North West has been handed over to Tories. Utopia, optimism and future growth for the region has been passed over to Cameron’s Eton’s Cronies. Those years 1979 – 1997 weren’t that bad where they?
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Please stop with this class snobbery, it really gets on my nerves when people like you make misguided comments like that ‘Eton cronies’ remark. Many top Tories attended state schools including Margaret Thatcher, Ted Heath, John Major, William Hague and Liam Fox while Clement Atlee and Michael Foot are public schoolboys as are many of the current Labour cabinet. Labour even has a few old Etonians. It doesn’t matter what school someone went to, the best person fort the job should have it. All of your views on the Conservatives seemed to based on nothing but stereotypes and bias. The North West is not safe in Liebour’s hands. LIEBOUR OUT 2010
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When it come to class hypocrisy, Labour is 2nd to none,the soon to be deposed Margaret Hodge is a millionare, I hope that red rag chanpagne socialist scum-whore is ousted by Nick griffin on thursday.
NWRDA = Sweet FA, its done nothing for blackpool, scrap it along with all the other jobsworth scum.
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Out of interest, what does it matter whether he or his cronies went to a certain school? Is it not just jealousy on your own part (unless you also went there)?
Surely if someone went to Eton, that’s a good thing because it demonstrates that they have had a good education.
Why is it so hard for people to accept that privately run schools are a million times better than state schools? Whose fault is it that state schools are not as good? Labour!
On your last comment, I think many people – particularly business owners – in Blackpool would long for the town to be as bustling and booming as it was in the 80′s.
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