Vinte anos atrás, este mês, fui eleito como líder eleito do Conselho do Condado de Lancashire. Tendo sido eleito para o County Hall doze anos antes, eu estava envolvido em toda uma gama de iniciativas emocionantes, lideradas pela autoridade local mais influente no norte da Inglaterra. Ela havia estabelecido uma empresa de desenvolvimento econômico, a Lancashire Enterprises, que investiu em centenas de negócios do condado, criou milhares de empregos e salvou o Leyland DAF. levantando milhões de libras para os mais pobres da nossa comunidade por meio de benefícios não reclamados. Tendo liderado o condado por onze anos, a partir de 1981, Ellman passou a representar um círculo eleitoral de Liverpool no Parlamento. Joan Humble fez o mesmo em Blackpool, enquanto Josie Farrington, Ruth Henig e Tony Greaves tiveram a oportunidade de servir na Câmara dos Lordes. Tornei -me líder dessa organização influente tanto quanto ao fato de eu ser o vice -líder de Lancashire, como fez minha própria perspicácia política, tenho certeza.
Under the leadership of Louise Ellman, Lancashire had become the powerhouse council in the region. She had established an economic development company, Lancashire Enterprises which invested in hundreds of the county’s businesses, created thousands of jobs, and saved Leyland DAF.
We owned a property in Brussels, providing us with access to EU commissioners, enabling the negotiation of significant investment for funding of regeneration projects across the county.
We set up the most successful Welfare Rights unit in the country, raising millions of pounds for the poorest in our community through unclaimed benefits.
In terms of ‘big beasts’, Lancashire had its fair share. Having led the County for eleven years, from 1981, Ellman went on to represent a Liverpool constituency in parliament. Joan Humble did the same In Blackpool, whilst Josie Farrington, Ruth Henig, and Tony Greaves were given an opportunity to serve in the House of Lords.
Lancashire was the driving force behind the establishment of the North West Regional Assembly – a forerunner to a regional parliament, when New Labour was still flirting with the idea of genuine devolution in England.
That I became leader of this influential organisation was as much to do with the fact that I was the Deputy Leader at Lancashire as it did my own political acumen, I’m sure.
So, it was from a position of strength that I looked forward to taking on the role of leader at County Hall – with some big plans to continue the ambitious, entrepreneurial, and progressive work that the county had become known for.
Não havia dúvida de que eu poderia manter o momento de Lancashire.
Mas, em seguida, as rodas saíram. Em segundo plano, uma cabala de membros do trabalho em West Lancashire começou a agitar para uma investigação policial sobre os retornos eleitorais do partido na campanha eleitoral geral de 1997. Eles alegaram que, como agente, eu era responsável por gastar demais na campanha e, como tal, era culpado de fraude eleitoral. Mas, tanto eu quanto os funcionários do partido, estávamos confiantes de que as acusações eram falsas e que a investigação fracassaria. O inquérito eu e meu colega do conselho, John Fillis, acabamos sendo acusados de 'conspiração para fraudar' - e apenas alguns dias depois de garantir a liderança do trabalho em Lancashire, minha carreira política caiu. Mas foi também, em retrospectiva, o começo do fim de Lancashire como uma das organizações governamentais locais mais influentes do país.
The rumours of wrongdoing circulated for a year or so, with satirical magazine Private Eye featuring the allegations against me on a regular basis. But, both I and party officials, were confident that the accusations were bogus, and that the investigation would fizzle out.
Indeed, given that boundary changes implemented in 1997 had made West Lancashire a ‘safe’ Labour seat, and the fact that the Conservative opposition had not raised any complaints, it seemed likely that the police would recognise an internal party spat when they saw one.
However, following an intensive enquiry both myself and my council colleague, John Fillis, were eventually charged with ‘conspiracy to defraud’ – and just days after securing the Lancashire Labour leadership, my political career came crashing down.
It was a personal tragedy for me. But it was also, in hindsight, the beginning of the end for Lancashire as one of the most influential local government organisations in the country.
A idéia de que um programa de devolução radical poderia ter sido lançado sem o envolvimento de Lancashire seria impensável naquela época. A potência do norte teria o condado em seu coração, e não o jogador periférico que se vê hoje. E, no cenário nacional, as ofertas para o Canal 4, a realocação de departamentos governamentais para Preston e o investimento em setores emergentes da indústria teriam sido muito mais prevalentes. Mas os sinais são as coisas que podem estar prestes a mudar. Eles relutavam em assumir os papéis em primeiro lugar. Eles certamente não assumiriam o tipo de riscos calculados que Louise e sua equipe assumiram o estabelecimento de uma empresa de desenvolvimento econômico e a compra de uma propriedade em Bruxelas. Da mesma forma, eles não tinham largura de banda para estar no centro da agenda regional e de devolução. A capital da oferta de cultura, o Éden do Projeto Norte e o trabalho cada vez mais impressionante do marketing Lancashire são sinais de que o município está pronto para começar a dar um soco novamente em seu peso. O grupo parlamentar de todos os partidos, por exemplo, oferecerá ao município uma voz influente em Whitehall. Espero que Lancashire seja uma voz muito mais influente nos próximos anos. No primeiro dia do julgamento em Chester Crown Court em 2003, o juiz jogou fora o caso, afirmando que o tribunal não era o lugar para resolver as rivalidades políticas internas do partido. Downtown in Business
Through the business lobbying organisation Downtown in Business which I established in 2003, I have maintained an involvement in the North West and beyond- but Lancashire has been a bit part player in the major developments taking place during the twenty-first century. But signs are things could be about to change.
Those who succeeded me and the team I had in place back in 2001 were not prepared for leadership. They were reluctant to take the roles in the first place. They were certainly not going to take the sort of calculated risks that Louise and her team took in establishing an economic development company and purchasing a property in Brussels. Equally, they didn’t have the bandwidth to be at the centre of the regional and devolution agenda.
Now though, you can see a new ambition emerge at County Hall and among stakeholders. The Capital of Culture bid, the Eden of the North Project and the increasingly impressive work of Marketing Lancashire are all signs that the county is ready to start to punch its weight again.
It is also good to see a greater appetite for collaboration. The All- Party Parliamentary Group, for example, will offer the county an influential voice in Whitehall. I expect Lancashire to be a far more influential voice in the coming years.
And what of the allegations against me and co-accused John Fillis, now the Deputy Leader of the Lancashire Labour group? On day one of the trial at Chester Crown Court in 2003, the judge threw out the case, stating that the courtroom was not the place to resolve internal party- political rivalries.
Had Lancashire Constabulary taken the same view, my journey- and the county’s- could have been very different indeed.
