The North East after Brexit

A new book edited by Northumbria University academics has warned the North East is underprepared for the challenges it could face after Brexit.

Launched this month, The North East After Brexit Impact and Policy is part of book publisher Emerald’s Brexit series. Co-edited by Professors Joyce Liddle and John Shutt from Northumbria’s Newcastle Business School, it is the result of on-going research collaborations across the University and with academic colleagues from Durham Business School.

The first chapter is written by Dr Nicola Headlam, Director of the Northern Powerhouse for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). She sets the context for discussions on the refreshed strategy for the Northern Powerhouse after Brexit. Professors Liddle and Shutt then examine the policy implications after Brexit for the North East in the context of the new Combined Authorities and the future of the Local Enterprise Partnerships in the 11 Northern Powerhouse regions. They also consider the future of Local Industrial Strategy development within the UK Industrial Strategy.

Other contributors cover the NHS Plan economic impacts, industrial strategy and tourism. The Borderlands Initiative and collaboration between the North East and Scotland, small firms, the role of universities, business support networks and local Government policy futures are also covered, along with and education & training for public leadership and management.

In the concluding chapter Shutt and Liddle argue there is too much governance fragmentation and insufficient focus on the challenges of Brexit for the region. They call for a renewed focus on place leadership and a better regional voice within the Northern Powerhouse. They set out key areas for future research and development

Professor John Wilson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Business and Law at Northumbria, said: “This book is designed to help people inside and out the region think through some of the key drivers of change which we face as the next decade approaches, and to present up to date analysis of what more needs to change if the region is to alter its path of development and take greater advantage of the devolution process

“Whether it is the Industrial Strategy, Enterprise Zones, Free Ports of the new ‘Strength in Places’ or ‘Shared Prosperity Funds’ Newcastle Business School and Northumbria University intend to be at the heart of the modern day public policy debates, and will continue to work alongside its key stakeholders in the public, private and third sectors across the region to understand how we might better boost competitive advantage in the North East over the coming decade in a turbulent global economy.

“Northumbria’s mission is to join the top 30 UK Universities in research leadership and to play a leading role in the future of regional economic development in the North East. Contributions made in this book illustrate clearly the impact our research can have.”

The North East After Brexit was launched on Thursday November 14 at the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE 2019) conference, hosted jointly by Northumbria and Newcastle Universities. It is available for purchase at £40.00. For more information and to order a copy please click here.