In this special edition of the Baltic Triangle podcast Professor Parkinson has been talking to Mick Ord about the hopes, dreams and challenges for the Merseyside region having spent much of his academic career studying the economics of the region.
Professor Michael Parkinson has just published Liverpool – Beyond the Brink, more than 30 years after Liverpool – On the Brink, written at the height of the council’s political struggles with the conservative government of Margaret Thatcher when the city teetered on the brink of bankruptcy.
One of UK’s leading experts on urban regeneration says the financial challenges faced by Liverpool City Council today are greater than those faced by the Militant Labour council in the 1980’s.
In the 80’s the council were involved in a bitter financial tug of war with the government after what they saw as savage cuts to their budget and their policy of building council houses and sports centres and refusal to make cuts to their budget. The battle eventually led to the 47 Labour councillors being fined and banned from office by the district auditor.
Professor Parkinson is now Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for civic engagement at the University of Liverpool and Ambassador for the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy and Practice.
His new book looks back at how far Liverpool has come over the past 30 years and what needs to be done now to ensure more prosperity comes to the region. Although we’ve come a long way, he argues we still have some way to go to overcome the financial pressures facing the city and the challenge of Brexit.
This is an excellent series of podcasts. The interviewers (Mick here) are know just how to get the best out of an interviewee and have the background knowledge to be able to tease further interesting comments from them.
There are great things happening in the Baltic. Liverpool lacks much media infrastructure to look in depth into what is happening in the city. The Baltic is a real success story with so many interesting and creative people doing innovative things, developing the local opportunity and also in many cases helping to make a better world.
All power to Mick and the rest of the team. This is one of the very best Liverpool podcasts out there. I learn several new things about the city every time I tune in.