Latest news with #CentreforCities
Hamilton Spectator
02-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Lakeshore, UWindsor sign deal to boost innovation, housing and learning
The University of Windsor and the Municipality of Lakeshore have signed a new agreement to promote innovation, improve local planning and boost housing development while creating learning opportunities for students and businesses. The five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed at the Atlas Tube Recreation Centre, sets the stage for collaboration in research, experiential learning and community development. 'This agreement marks an exciting step forward in our commitment to fostering innovation, education and community impact,' said Dr. Robert Gordon, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Windsor. 'By partnering with the Municipality of Lakeshore, we are building new pathways for research collaboration, student learning and regional development. Supported by our Centre for Cities, Office of Experiential Learning and dedicated researchers, we will drive meaningful change and create opportunities that benefit both our students and the broader Lakeshore community.' The partnership will focus on tackling housing, environmental and economic challenges, and will be supported through various university units, including the Centre for Cities and Office of Experiential Learning. It will also involve faculty and student placements, community-based projects and innovation programs. 'This partnership is an incredible opportunity to bring the energy, talent and expertise of the University of Windsor into our communities,' said Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey. 'While the initial focus will be on our housing initiatives, I look forward to seeing this partnership grow in the spirit of collaboration and public service.' The MOU outlines a wide scope of joint efforts, including access to national research funding, knowledge sharing, community outreach and joint workshops. It provides a framework to create project-specific agreements that support research, innovation and student development. The agreement also aims to address shared priorities like housing development, environmental sustainability and economic growth, using the strengths of both institutions to create local impact. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Sunday Post
04-05-2025
- Business
- Sunday Post
Glasgow 'missing out' on oil and gas-sized financial boom
Get a weekly round-up of stories from The Sunday Post: Thank you for signing up to our Sunday Post newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up Glasgow is missing out on an economic boom the size of Scotland's entire oil and gas industry and is one of Europe's most underperforming cities. Analysis by The Sunday Post reveals seven of the top 10 areas in Scotland for average income tax paid are in Edinburgh or the north east, with no Glasgow constituency making the grade. Experts believe it represents a shifting balance of economic power from the east to the west that could see some communities left poorer and older on average as young people move away to secure higher paying jobs. Despite being just 50 miles apart, the story of Glasgow and Edinburgh could hardly be more different. While Glasgow is struggling to recover from the effects of deindustrialisation decades ago, Edinburgh remains the fastest growing city in Scotland and one of the fastest growing parts of the UK – with growth outpacing even that of London. What did our research find? Our analysis of HMRC data released earlier this year shows Edinburgh South has the highest average income tax spend per person, at £12,900, while neighbouring Edinburgh West came in at £9,840. Aberdeen South and West Aberdeenshire add to a swathe of wealth running up the east coast that takes in a further two Edinburgh constituencies and – falling just outside the top 10 – Gordon and Buchan. Constituencies that are considered to be commuter areas for Glasgow, such as East Renfrewshire and Mid Dunbartonshire, do feature in some of the top spots. However, the first Glasgow constituency – Glasgow West – does not appear until number 12 in the rankings. Four of Glasgow's constituencies rank below the national average, while Glasgow North East has the lowest rate of income tax paid per person anywhere in Scotland, at £3,430. Constituency areas have wildly varying demographics and some can be skewed by certain factors, such as wealthy Edinburgh East and Musselburgh appearing further down the list than may be expected because of a large number of retired residents. But experts agree the gap between the east and west is growing. Paul Swinney is director of policy and research at the Centre for Cities thinktank. It analyses how and why economic growth and change takes place in UK cities. Swinney believes politicians have failed to focus on Glasgow as much as they should given the scale of its economic shortfall. © Supplied by Centre for Cities He said: 'Glasgow hugely underperforms relative to its European counterparts. 'It's a big place. It should be the most productive part of Scotland and one of the most productive areas anywhere in the UK – but it isn't. 'The calculations we've done suggest the size of Glasgow's underperformance – the gap between where Glasgow is now compared to where it should – is as large as the total size of the oil and gas industry in Scotland. 'So if Glasgow was performing as it should, it's the equivalent of adding another oil and gas industry to Scotland's economy.' Cities across the UK underperforming Glasgow is not alone in underperforming in relation to its population and demographics. Outside of London, it is a common trait in UK cities – although Edinburgh arguably overperforms. Research by the Centre for Cities found Manchester had the biggest performance gap anywhere in the UK, followed by Birmingham. But both of those areas are showing signs of better recovery than Glasgow. Swinney is calling for greater devolution of powers to cities and large towns, with local figureheads such as mayors or metro provosts given some degree of control over how funds are raised and spent. Many big cities in England now have mayors and greater fiscal controls but Swinney argues devolution in Scotland has been 'hoarded' at the Scottish Parliament. He said: 'It is one of the UK's largest economic problems, the consistent underperformance of big places that should be leading the national economy but actually trail behind it. 'The good news for large cities in England is that over the past 10 years, that has started to change. 'Mayors are in place now over those greater city areas and they have a degree of policy control – although that is still relatively low in comparison to their international counterparts. 'The worrying thing for Glasgow is that not only does it not have those fiscal devolution powers but it doesn't have the other things Manchester has been collecting over the past 10 years.' UK inequality is not the norm The wealth gap between the east and west coast manifests in various ways, including differences in income, wealth, and life expectancy. Graeme Roy, professor of economics at Glasgow University, said much of the wealth on the east coast is a result of large salaries being paid in the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen and financial services in Edinburgh. He said: 'There is always going to be variation between different parts of the country but what is quite unique about the UK and Scotland is the level of that variance. 'The UK is, on a regional basis, one of the most unequal nations in the OECD so there is lots of data that shows there is a huge concentration in London for who pays the most income tax and who is paid the most money. 'In many other countries, there are many more big cities that rival the capital. Whereas in the UK, you have London and then it drops off quite a bit.' © Supplied Scotland's total income tax take was £16.3 billion, compared to £248.4 billion across the UK during the same period. The £656 million collected in Edinburgh South, the highest paying area in Scotland, is dwarfed by the £4.2 billion paid by London's Kensington and Bayswater – an average of £62,300 per taxpayer. The figures highlight how the UK Treasury has become increasingly dependent on a handful of wealthy areas to fund public services. Such substantial regional inequality can force young people to move away, making it harder to fill key roles in more impoverished areas. Boundaries Scotland recently proposed revised constituency maps for the Scottish Parliament, reflecting population shifts and changes in electoral wards since 2010. Roy said: 'Most economists would say that regional inequality is not a good thing. 'While you want to support your really successful areas, you want to make sure that's not done at the expense of other places. 'That's a big critique of the UK, that we haven't done that – and Scotland is no different.'
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Bristol businesses try to navigate Trump's tariffs
A study has assessed how Bristol and South Gloucestershire businesses may be impacted by trade tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump last research by the Centre for Cities found Bristol and South Gloucestershire exported nearly £1bn of goods to the US in 2022 - mostly aerospace week the US imposed a sweeping range of tariffs on a number of countries that were later reduced to a baseline of 10% on all except China, Mexico and Canada."Even in today's terms, it's a lot of money - it's about 12% of the total goods Bristol exports," said chief executive of Centre for Cities, Andrew Carter. "On the one hand, is that it's a big number but the silver lining is that we also export to other parts of the world," added Mr Carter of the organisation, which calls itself an independent, non-partisan urban policy research unit. "There are opportunities elsewhere and that's a good thing."Bristol's exports are roughly an even split between physical goods and services, such as film editing and accountancy, which is not yet subject to any the UK is earmarked for a lesser tariff of 10%, car manufacturers - such as Jaguar Land Rover, whose cars are often exported through the port at Avonmouth - are subject to a tariff of 25%."We should be relieved it's not worse - but the 10% position is not a good one to be in and it will affect growth and investment," said Mr Carter. 'Pretty profound effect' While larger businesses such as Rolls Royce and Airbus are likely to bear the brunt of tariffs - smaller businesses are also not immune and could be disproportionately Frappell, managing director of Nailsea-based motorbike maintenance company Tru-Tension, who appeared on the BBC's Dragons Den in 2018, said: "Ultimately, it has a pretty profound effect on the business - the US is one of our biggest markets and certainly our biggest growing market."Approximately 20% of his turnover came from the US, he said."We're going to end up with a 10% higher price for our customers and that means competitors of ours in the US can gain more market share and ultimately we have to make a choice between swallowing that price or increasing them," he has said he wants the tariffs to move manufacturing jobs back to the Frappell said the company had no plans to turn its back on the US market but was weighing up relocating some of its manufacturing in China to the US. He added this would still result in higher prices due to increased costs."Ultimately, the UK industries that do manufacture here and export to the US may decide that it's not viable to manufacture here any more and that drives business away from the UK," he said.
.png%3Ftrim%3D729%2C0%2C80%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Mapped: Which UK cities could be hit hardest by Trump's tariffs?
US tariffs are set to cause an 'uneven storm' across the UK with Coventry expected to be the worst affected, a think tank has warned. The West Midlands, the home of British car manufacturing, and Wales, which is a significant contributor to British steel, are likely to take the brunt of the economic impact caused by Donald Trump's escalating trade war, a study by Centre for Cities shows. The 10 per cent tariff on all imports will see the cost of UK goods rise across the Atlantic, from artisan cheese and beer to cars and machinery. But the additional 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium is set to significantly impact car manufacturing and the British steel industry. Coventry is the most exposed city, where more than 22 per cent of its total exports are estimated to be goods to the US. It is closely followed by Derby with 19.9 per cent of its goods exported to the US and Telford at 13.3 per cent, according to 2016 to 2022 data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Overall, 14.3 per cent of exports in Wales are to the US and 15.4 per cent in the West Midlands, Centre for Cities calculated from this data. On the other hand, the least impacted city is York at 2.7 per cent, which is seven times less exposed by tariffs than Coventry. Edinburgh (2.9 per cent), London (3.2 per cent) and Cardiff (3.7 per cent) all have low exposure to the impact of tariffs. That is because their economies are more service-oriented, and their goods exports make up a small share of their export industries. The West Midlands is a major hub for British car manufacturing, with notable brands like Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin. British Steel's headquarters is in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, with rolling mills in Teesside and Skinningrove. But Port Talbot in south Wales is home to the largest steel works in the UK. Gareth Stace, UK Steel director general, argued that US president Donald Trump has taken a 'sledgehammer' to free trade with 'huge ramifications' for the steel sector. 'Our high-quality products serve key US industries, many of which cannot source these domestically. This is a moment where our countries should work together to tackle global steel overproduction, not to be at loggerheads,' he added. The government is now considering nationalising British Steel as fears grow that the company's blast furnaces in Scunthorpe could run out of raw materials within days. There are fears that without government support, there could be huge job losses. The motor industry is also warning there could be 25,000 job losses in the UK due to 25 per cent tariffs on automobiles and parts. Car manufacturer Morgan Motors, based in Malvern, West Midlands, exports about 30 per cent of its products and builds around 650 cars a year. Bosses are concerned the tariffs will impact growth. 'The tariffs are not good news, and we do not welcome them at all. In the short term, it could stop people from purchasing cars,' James Guilbert, head of communications, told The Independent. 'There will be a knock-on impact to the wider supply chain, we buy materials from other suppliers in the Midlands and if they are impacted, we will be too.' The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) pointed out that its £126m trade with the US could be wiped out with a 25 per cent tariff charge on aluminium cans. CEO Emma McClarkin said: 'We urge the government to defend the great British brewing industry and strike a deal which removes these harmful tariffs. 'With the enormous cost of doing business, many British brewers won't be able to sustain a hit such as this from one of our biggest trading partners." Morgan Schondelmeir, tax and trade policy manager at BBPA told The Independent: 'It will decrease the incentive for smaller breweries to export. 'Although the amount exported is relatively small, this additional 25 per cent tariff on cans is only being applied to beer - not other beverages sold in cans. We are the only beverage being targeted specifically.' Responding to the latest on tariffs on Wednesday afternoon, doing a trade deal with the US or changing the rates of American tariffs will not be "enough", Sir Keir Starmer said. Asked by ITV's Peston if the 10 per cent tariff on importing goods to the US would be in place forever, the prime minister replied: "Look, I don't know. "We are negotiating and we hope to improve the situation, but what I mean by this is that simply thinking that any change in the rates, or any deal is going to be enough, to my mind is wrong, because just as we've done with defence and security, where we've recognised it's a changing world, we've got to step up and act differently.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Coventry worst hit' by US tariffs
Coventry has been ranked as the UK city likely to be the worst hit by tariffs imposed by the United States, according to a recent study. Data conducted by the Centre for Cities thinktank estimated it would be most significantly affected because of its existing car manufacturing industry. President Donald Trump announced the sweeping set of tariffs last week, including a 10% tax on nearly all UK imports and 25% on British cars. Industry experts fear the move could lead to job losses, but city councillor Jim O'Boyle said the city was "resilient". "Coventry will recover from this, we are not in a position where we are losing jobs," he said. "Nobody knows how this is going to end up, but we are resilient and highly-skilled." The Centre for Cities data said Coventry was most exposed to the tariffs because 22.1% of its total exports were estimated to be goods to the US. This was followed by Derby at 19.9%, Telford at 17.3% and Worthing at 15.3%. In neighbouring Birmingham, the figure was 13.1%, making it eighth on the list of most-affected cities. Coventry is home to Jaguar Land Rover, which employs thousands at its sites across the West Midlands. The manufacturer announced on Saturday it would pause shipments to the US in April as it worked to "address the new trading terms". Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited its Solihull factory on Monday and told workers: "We are going to back you to the hilt." The West Midlands region is also home to a large machinery and transport sector, including companies that supply the car manufacturing industry. A Centre for Cities spokesperson said the thinktank had combined ONS data on regional exports to the US with local authority job statistics to come up with its rankings. "Coventry stands out for its high share of exports in automotive and metals that go to the United States," they said. "Other cities with a strong automotive sector, such as Sunderland and Liverpool, do not rely as much on the US for their sales." David Bailey, Professor of Business Economics at the University of Birmingham, said Trump's tariffs posed a "genuine risk" to the area's automotive industry. He said: "We could see some plants close, not in the West Midlands, but maybe in other parts of the country which could affect the supply chain in the West Midlands." Prof Bailey added he hoped a quick deal could be made on automotive tariffs. "I don't think anybody is prepared for this scale of shock," he said. "If the tariffs remain in place, the automotive industry will have to think about raising prices in the US, about dealer's margins getting squeezed, but at some point there's going to be a hit back in the UK in terms of productions and jobs." What are tariffs and why is Trump using them? How Trump's tariffs might affect you and your money Trump's tariffs on China, EU and more, at a glance West Midlands firms uncertain over Trump's tariffs O'Boyle said he hoped plans to expand Coventry's UK Battery Industrialisation Centre to move quickly towards electronification would be sped up following the announcements. "One of the things missing in the UK as a whole is our ability to produce our own batteries. They are imported from Europe, China or America, and we need to build them here," he said. "We have got to invest now to support the future going forward. "The tariffs are stupid, where countries succeed is by working together. We need to open borders, not close them." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. US markets rally as European stocks recover some ground after tariff turmoil Trump not considering pausing tariffs despite global turmoil UK to relax electric car rules as US tariffs hit Midlands firms feel uncertain over Trump tariffs Centre for Cities West Midlands Combined Authority UK Battery Industrialisation Centre
