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Wednesday, 26 September, 2001, 05:43 GMT 06:43 UK
Regional rivals join forces
Manchester councillors will work closely with Liverpool
The north-west English cities of Manchester and Liverpool have signed a joint economic declaration to try to combat the power of the South East.
After decades of fierce rivalry, the leaders of the two metropolitan areas are signing a "concordat" on Wednesday in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The agreement has come about following a study by the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA). It found areas where Manchester's role as the regional capital could dovetail with Liverpool's distinctive economic strengths. Successful cities Now it is hoped there will be closer partnership and collaboration between the two in future. Mike Storey, Liverpool council leader, said: "It is ridiculous for our two cities - just 30 miles apart - to be competing for Government and European grants, tourist development, inward investment or even a media profile. "We have complementary assets and a shared interest in working together to help bring success for our cities - and for the North West as a whole.
"Together we can also help our region become a strong counterweight to the power and influence of the South East." Richard Leese, Manchester council leader said: "Manchester and Liverpool can use each others' distinctive strengths and complement each other to improve life for everyone in the North West. "We must built on the unique and complementary attributes of Manchester and Liverpool to make the North West region an attractive place for people to live and for companies to invest." Over the past year the NWDA has joined with Liverpool and Manchester city councils to work with public and private partners from both cities. They have produced the joint Liverpool-Manchester Vision Study, led by Professor Alan Harding of the Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures (SURF) at the University of Salford.
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