'Cheap talk'? A former Downing Street advisor takes on critics of the 'Manchester model'

Some say the 'Manchester model' is a cautionary tale about what happens when a city hands over its keys to property investors. Others say it's an example of how the great cities of the UK should regenerate and rebuild their prosperity. Economist Mike Emmerich is closer to the second view and has been a key voice in the city for decades. He used to be an advisor in the Treasury and Downing Street before returning home to Manchester, where he helped to negotiate the first big devolution deal. In an in-depth interview with Joshi, he expresses frustration with "the cheap talk of a certain kind of radical politics that fails to give credit to the city's leaders for the unbelievable hard work that they did to bring this city back from the near dead". In the episode, we refer to Mike's recent lecture at the University of Manchester and Daniel's long read for The Mill about whether the city's economic growth is benefiting Mancunians more broadly. Thanks to our sponsors Glow, at the RHS Garden Bridgewater for supporting this episode and our journalism. Book your tickets now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.