County urged to ‘go big’ with elected mayor

Lancashire is on a journey towards an elected mayor in 2026 and it is vital it seizes the massive opportunity to bring billions of pounds of government investment into the county.

That was the strong message delivered by Mo Isap, chairman of the new Lancashire Business Board. In his first public appearance in the role, he declared: “We have the opportunity to really go big.”

He told delegates to the Lancashire Festival of Business at Impact Conference Centre in Burnley, that Manchester’s elected mayor Andy Burnham has a £13bn, 10-year growth plan and the city-region was getting £1bn of investment a year as a result of its devolution deal.

Comparing that to Lancashire he said: “Over the last 10 years we have only had £1.5bn from government. We are not in the car park never mind in the room.”

In a rallying call to Lancashire businesses, he urged them to play their part in the devolution journey by creating a “united narrative”, highlighting what the county can deliver, its potential and its ambitions.

And he called on Lancashire and its businesses to be “more ambitious, more daring, more proud and more loud.”

The Lancashire Business Board is made up of leaders from the county’s foremost regional, national and international firms. The independent body was set up as part of the county’s current ‘level two’ devolution deal with the government, which does not include an elected mayor.

It follows government guidance on the need to include private sector and employer views in local economic strategies.

Mo told the festival, organised by Lancashire Business View in partnership with Lancashire County Council, that ‘level three’ devolution deals with an elected mayor is “where the real action is.”

He said: “Investment is going into regions where the government believes and is confident that it will give a result and a return for the economy and for growth.

“If we are not going to be in that room, if we are not in that position to secure that level of investment that is available, and it is not just a mirage or spin, we are going to miss out considerably.”

Mo said that from day one Lancashire’s elected mayor would have the same opportunity as the mayors of Manchester, Liverpool and London.

He said: “Lancashire has succeeded through its businesses despite its politicians. It is now time that the politicians helped businesses, so they can deliver and achieve the outcomes in terms of business growth, job creation, a future high-skilled economy and sustainability.”

And he added that businesses had the ability to deliver a “unified, ambitious narrative” and to highlight that the government will get a return on its investment in Lancashire that could be even greater than it will see through its ‘Silicon Valley of Europe’ plan for the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.

He said: “Businesses have the opportunity to influence the political landscape, to ensure we are not just getting crumbs from the table.”

And he also called on Lancashire to be more ambitious when it came to attracting international inward investment.

He asked: “Why do we need to be the 15th person in the delegation that goes out to a country and is is being led by London or Manchester or Liverpool, why aren’t we leading delegations?

“Why can’t we be ambitious and bring Australian pension funds here and say we have got some amazing development opportunities for you to invest in, we’ve got some amazing entrepreneurs to invest in.”

Calling on Lancashire to “up its game” he added: “We should be out there ourselves, loud and proud. All of us have a responsibility to act and amplify that message.”

Coun Aidy Riggott, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for economic development and growth, told the audience: “There is a huge range of business support when you look at the quality, depth and knowledge Lancashire has.”

He added: “The message from us is we champion you; we support you and we want you to succeed.”

The Festival of Business offered a compelling mix of panel discussions, interviews, guest speakers, interactive masterclasses and networking opportunities and attracted delegates from across Lancashire.

The annual event is designed to fuel business success and community collaboration. It included panel discussions focusing on finance and support and how to use AI technology.

Masterclasses were held on topics including sales advice and transformation, protecting a business and streamlining software.

And delegates also heard from Andrea Challis, joint chief executive of The Partington Group. The family-owned business is behind an ambitious £75m investment in a leisure development at Windy Harbour near Blackpool.