Owl says: “They have one task: to enrich all the peoples of the North of England …” – good luck with that – as each vested-interest Chair vies to outscrew the others!
“Local enterprise partnerships from across the North of England will come together to form a new body to support ambitions for the region.
A government-funded board called NP11 will be made up of chairs of the 11 northern LEPs and act as a modern-day version of the medieval Council for the North. It will advise central government on how to increase productivity and tackle the north-south divide.
Announcing the creation of the board in Newcastle today, Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry said: “As we approach leaving the European Union we need to ensure that every area of the UK continues to economically flourish.
“For the first time since 1472, we will bring together the business voices of the Northern Powerhouse in our Council for the North.
“They have one task: to enrich all the peoples of the North of England … we will shift the North’s economy into overdrive.”
NP11 will be chaired by Roger Marsh, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership.
“By bringing together the private and public sectors, local enterprise partnerships are in a unique position to unite northern business and civic leaders behind a common goal of building a true northern economic powerhouse that brings prosperity to everyone who lives and works in the North, while also competing for the country globally,” Marsh said.
“Our country’s success is built on northern industry, innovation, and determination.”
https://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2018/07/government-sets-new-council-north
East Devon Watch 
Ah. So we are putting in place the power of patronage? The chairs of the ‘Council of the North’ (I thought they rode with the Marcher Lords to hold back the Scots, but history was a tricky subject) jockey into position to decide who gets the dibs in the great government hand out programme.
But where is the clear statement of what is to be done, what actual targets are being set and what happens if or when they fail? The real world crucifies small businesses who fail, but appears to reward those too big to fail. As below. so above? What do we actually get for our money by these plans?
We can be certain that if there are no targets and no penalties then the game is just posturing and trousering the fees. Unlike politicians, you don’t get the occasional opportunity to throw them out for being useless because there is no mechanism to allow business or the public to remove the unwanted and the under-performing. How strange that I find myself recommending the application of the ballot box when the great Brexit disaster of having electoral rules broken does not, apparently, invalidate the referendum.
Maybe Owl could explain the finer points?
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Surely it is up to the Government rather than The Owl to demonstrate that LEPs are transparent about what they are doing, accountable for the public money they get and demonstrate value for money compared to alternative ways of achieving the same end e.g. through central Government projects or local councils?
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Meantime we shall express our darker purpose.
Give me the map there. Know that we have divided
Our kingdom divers ways: and ’tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age;
Conferring them on LEPs, they so enriched,
While we, unburthen’d crawl toward electoral death.
………………….Tell me, my Councillors,–
Since now we will divest us both of rule,
Interest of territory, cares of state,–
Which of you shall we say doth owe us most?
That we our largest bounty may extend
Where nature doth with merit challenge. Greg Clark,
Our business secretary, speak first.
King Lear: Act 1, Scene 1 (updated a tad)
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Thanks for sharing this.
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