Shapps and the northern renaissance

The Daily Express has published an essay by the Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps, in which he describes an economic renaissance in the north of England.  My initial reaction was to wonder how well informed this MP for a southern constituency is on the subject, but it turns out that he lived in Manchester in his younger days.  Furthermore it appears that he is in the habit of visiting the north of England on a regular basis.

The essay mentions the industrial heritage of the north of England, and also the damage inflicted upon it by the last Labour government.  It also praises the present government for assisting in the process of regeneration.  In particular he notes that:

Today graphene - the miracle new material that is constructed from a single layer of carbon atoms but is 100 times stronger than steel - is being pioneered in a Manchester laboratory, with a Conservative-led Government investing £50million to help commercialise it.

The business spirit never died in our Northern cities: it just needed to be set free.

Later on he urges that:

Some predict we can be the biggest economy in Europe again. But only if we stick to David Cameron's plan.

There is however a problem here.  On present trends, the general election next year will see Ed Miliband enter Downing Street.  I am not saying that should be welcomed, but it is fair to point out that if Labour win the next general election, then David Cameron's plan will soon be abandoned, probably in favour of an approach similar to that of the current French government.

Of course the Conservative Party's fortunes may improve in the coming year, but there is no evidence of an upturn in their fortunes as I write.  Let me reiterate what I said in an earlier post:

I expect UKIP to come second in the forthcoming parliamentary by-election in Wythenshawe and Sale East.  This prediction is not wishful thinking.  It is based on a careful analysis of voting trends in all parliamentary by-elections since the last general election.

If the Conservative Party wants to confound me by outpolling UKIP in that by-election, then I cannot stop them.  This is a northern constituency (in Greater Manchester to be precise), and if Grant Shapps is correct in his assertion that David Cameron's plan is boosting the economy of the north of England, then maybe the Conservative Party will see their vote hold - or maybe not.

Related posts include:
The new power house in Europe