Dundee council leader promises to ‘kick doors down’ to win …
Dundee City Council leader John Alexander says he is adopting a “sharp-elbowed” approach to securing government support for the city after a series of snubs.
Disappointed by the lack of support from both the Scottish and UK Government, he insists its time for both UK and Scottish Governments to step up.
His message comes after Dundee’s bid for £80 million of investment and tax breaks was turned down
The decision saw the SNP and Conservative governments accused of a “political carve up”[1] after they instead chose to direct investment zone status to Glasgow and Aberdeen.
Upset over investment snub
It was a further blow after the city’s bid freeport status – which comes with big customs and tax incentives – was also unsuccessful.
Dundee doesn’t need to wait for doors to open – it needs to kick them in.
– John Alexander
Mr Alexander was vocal in his anger[2] about the lack of support, saying at the time it was “beyond comprehension” that Dundee was now the “only major Scottish City without support in the form of a freeport, innovation or investment zone”.
He has also criticised the lack of transparency about the process, with no feedback given on which criteria were applied or how the table-top exercise came to a conclusion.
Council leader John Alexander is determined to spread the city’s message. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson
Speaking to The Courier, he made clear he was not prepared to give up.
“I am not going with a begging bowl, I’m asking for governments to work with us to deliver positive outcomes,” he said.
Mr Alexander is now planning to host a roundtable in the city with Councillor Steven Rome – who leads on fair work and economic growth.
They have invited UK Government “Leveling Up” chief Michael Gove[3] and Neil Gray, the Scottish Government’s economy secretary.
Michael Gove has been invited to a roundtable in Dundee. Image: Shutterstock
Mr Alexander told both governments they should prepare for pressure.
“We are going to make our elbows felt,” he said.
“When I got elected as leader of the council in 2017, I said that Dundee doesn’t need to wait for doors to open – it needs to kick them in. That’s the approach we’ll take.”
In arguing for support, he points to the success the city has already enjoyed with support from the local authority and their business partners.
This includes the creation of around 2,000 new private sector jobs in 2020-21, among the most created in any UK city.
John Alexander with his councillor colleague Steven Rome. Image: Dougie Nicolson/DC Thomson.
He added: “I believe that our administration has made a real improvement in the economy of the city, working with many partners to look at high growth and innovative sectors. But it isn’t enough to turn around decades of decline overnight.”
But he admits the success comes from a relatively poor position, adding: “We are starting from behind the curve. What we’re doing now is we’re catching up.
“If you are targeting resources to areas most in need, then as far as I’m concerned Dundee is up front and centre.
“The picture is some senses is bleak. That’s in spite of all of the substantial efforts from the city council and local partners.
‘We need to do more than just catch up’
“We’ve made in-roads, but we need to do more than just catch up. Decisions like investment zones and freeport status only keep us back.”
The council is determined to learn from it’s failure to secure support, with Councillor Rome leading on work to understand why bids were unsuccessful.
Mr Rome said there won’t just be a shopping list.
“We’ll be showing them the best ways to get the most people into jobs, especially people who can upskill,” he explained.
“We’re also looking at physically bringing Scottish and UK Government ministers to the table so we can make our bid in person and they can see the city in person.”
From Dundee to Dubai
In particula,r Mr Rome says they are focussed on men aged between 40 and 55 who have fallen out of work as some industries quit the city.
Mr Alexander says the council won’t just seek support from government, explaining there is a “willingness” to work with a whole range of groups.
He adds: “We are having a conversation about the sister city relationship that the city has with Dubai and making more of that from an investment point of view.
“We’re not just looking at government. We’re looking across the world.
“There’s something powerful about the underdog messages. We need to keep the momentum going, that means us taking that message out, whether it’s London or Dubai or anywhere else, we have to engage in those conversations.”
References
- ^ accused of a “political carve up” (www.thecourier.co.uk)
- ^ anger (www.linkedin.com)
- ^ Michael Gove (www.thecourier.co.uk)