New regionalism: Break down this wall
When Andy Burnham opened No.10 North, much of the commentary focused on politics. What does that mean for communications?
If power is genuinely moving away from Westminster, communications cannot remain concentrated there too. Regionalism is not simply a constitutional project. It is a response to one of the most persistent failures in modern Britain.
Breaking down the wall
In 2019 and 2020, the UK2070 Commission, chaired by the late Lord Bob Kerslake, published a stark warning about the state of regional inequality in Britain.
Its conclusion was startling.
The economic divide between London and the South-East and many parts of the Midlands and North was comparable to the gap between East and West Germany when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
Germany responded to reunification with decades of investment, empowered regional institutions and a system that recognised political and economic legitimacy existed beyond Berlin.
Britain largely did the opposite.
Successive governments launched initiatives, funds and programmes, but too often policy was designed centrally, announced nationally and implemented locally.
UK2070 should have been a national wake-up call. “Levelling Up” was backed with some funded projects, for example the Towns Fund which helped regenerate 110 towns in England. But underneath, the change of direction Bob Kerslake called for was missing.
As Lord Kerslake repeatedly argued, the problem was not a shortage of initiatives. It was that too many interventions were short-term, fragmented and disconnected from the lived reality of places.
The consequence is familiar. Communities feel ignored. Trust declines. Governments find themselves surprised by outcomes they failed to see coming.
Why communications matters
This is where the best communications professionals and agencies add value. Communications’ most important function is helping decision-makers understand what people are saying before policy is finalised. If it is reduced to “Send out Stuff” as former Government comms leader Alex Aikin once called SoS comms, we’re not doing anyone favours, least of all our profession.
The best communicators act as translators between institutions and communities. Between politicians and those delivering in the public services.
They provide the intelligence that prevents governments operating inside a Westminster bubble. A bubble reinforced by a national media bubble.
For decades, regional networks, local media, civic institutions and community relationships performed some of that role.
A challenge for agencies and Combined Authorities
The rise of Combined Authorities changes the equation. Bodies such as the East Midlands Combined County Authority, West Midlands, Liverpool, Manchester, West Yorkshire and the North East, among others, are acquiring powers over transport, housing, skills and economic development.
But they are also acquiring something equally important. The ability to listen.
For agencies, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity. The old communications model rewarded proximity to Westminster. The new one will increasingly reward proximity to place.
Understanding local economies, local media, community organisations and local political cultures may become just as important as understanding Whitehall. The agencies that succeed will be those that can connect national ambitions with local realities. And Co-Pilot just ain’t gonna cut it.
From consultation to conversation
The most successful Combined Authorities will not be those with the largest budgets or the biggest communications teams. They will be those that build genuine conversations with the people they represent and ensure words and headlines become tangible realities – new and better jobs, functioning transport, visible benefits. Perception needs to meet reality.
The lesson of the Kerslake reports is not simply that England is unequal. The promise of the new regionalism is that decisions can once again be shaped by the places they affect.
For Labour, for No.10 and for communicators alike, that may be the biggest opportunity of all. Because the future of public communication is not broadcasting.
About Stuart Baird
Stuart was director of government communications for the East Midlands between 2006-2012, lead director for MHCLG regional campaigns, and was seconded into No10’s strategic comms unit three times in six years. In Government he worked with the King, multiple Secretaries of State, Ministers leading on national campaigns for multiple departments over 16 years as a civil servant. He co-founded BakerBaird Communications in 2016 delivering a dozen industry award winning campaigns in that time.
This article was originally posted on the Baker Baird website. If you’ve an idea for a guest blog post that you’d like to share, please pitch Stephen Waddington.