The Northern Powerhouse, Osborne and Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes: Cabernet Sauvignon is a bold and rich wine, bursting with tannins. When young, these elements are at their peak, but as it ages the flavours mellow. Similarly, the Northern Powerhouse was a strong and bold idea in its infancy, but as time has gone on, has the enthusiasm begun to mellow?

Last week, it was announced that the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has decided to chair the newly formed ‘Northern Powerhouse Partnership’, allowing him to focus his political energies on the project that gave him so much air-time as Chancellor.

Osborne coined the term ‘Northern Powerhouse’ two years ago in the Power Hall at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), giving rise to an unprecedented modern enthusiasm among northerners for local economic growth and prosperity.

He ceremoniously proclaimed that:

“The Northern Powerhouse can’t be built over-night. It’s a long-term plan for a country serious about its long-term economic future. It means jobs and prosperity and security for people here over future decades.

And I promise you this – I will work tirelessly with anyone across political divides in any of these great cities to make the Northern Powerhouse a reality.”

That promise to work tirelessly has been kept it seems - a rarity among the political elite I’m sure many will agree.

The initial proposal included plans for improved transport links, the devolution of power to elected mayors, and major investment in science and innovation projects across Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle.

During David Cameron’s time at No.10, the initiative seemed to gather momentum, capturing the imagination of business leaders while also securing lucrative Chinese backing. A government “pitchbook”, which sought to outline “attractive international investment opportunities in the North of England”, was published two weeks before President Xi Jinping’s visit, unashamedly addressed to the Chinese market.

“It gives me great pleasure to present this pitch book – the first of its kind – to the Chinese investment community today.”

By comparison, when Theresa May replaced Cameron in July, not only did she show notable reluctance when it came to endorsing the Northern Powerhouse - shifting focus away from the north, towards a more nationwide industrial strategy - she also notoriously snubbed the Chinese during the recent Hinkley debacle, making no secret of the fact that she mistrusted the country’s involvement with UK infrastructure projects.

Could this be the real reason behind her lack of enthusiasm?

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 for the first time since he left the Cabinet, Osborne commented on May’s unenthusiastic approach to his beloved pet project, admitting that he has had to persuade the new government to push on with the Northern Powerhouse vision, and accusing May of having a “wobble” over the commitment it would require.

Since announcing his new chairmanship, he has admitted that he did not consult May about the decision, only seeking counsel from his Rochdale-born political ally and Local Government and Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid. Whether this was because he could not get ‘face-time’ with the new PM, or whether it was an intentional decision, we may never know, but it now seems that May has granted her blessing.

In an article for the Manchester Evening News, earlier this week, May left us in no doubt that she is in full support of the Northern Powerhouse initiative, waxing lyrical about how “Manchester has always been a city where the future has been invented” and confirming that she will “work with leaders here in Greater Manchester to build on the Northern Powerhouse, celebrating and further spurring the enormous contribution and potential of cities like Manchester, to deliver economic prosperity and more opportunities for everyone.”

Speaking at the think-tank’s launch this week, Osborne also confirmed that the PM was now on-board with the ideas he has for the partnership; but he was also quick to note its independence from any London-centric governmental policy.

“Of course the partnership with Government is important, but the Northern Powerhouse has to be owned by the north, run by the north, it’s got to have enthusiasm in the north.”

Devolution and the planned election of mayors in Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield, along with seven other city-regions, shows that the desire for independence is there, despite the North-East declining the offer with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ letter to Whitehall earlier this month. There’s no pleasing some people!

It is this kind of support, especially in the North West, which has resulted in ‘Northern Powerhouse’ becoming a widely recognised term with real meaning and promise, despite May’s administration dialling down the hype built-up by Osborne.

Osborne built a brand out of the Northern Powerhouse. It was his flagship policy, arguably defining his legacy as Chancellor. For many, it remains a turning point: challenging the North-South divide head-on, subverting a London-centric mentality, and attempting to rebalance the economy.

It is a shame that one of Osborne’s most vocal supporters, Sir Howard Bernstein, is stepping down from his 45-year tenure as Chief Executive of Manchester Council, at a time when he could really use some additional support.

In recognition of his snappy-scarf clad ally, Osborne led tributes to Sir Howard, defining him as “the star of British local government”, admitting that there is no councillor that “comes close to him”.

Nevertheless, Osborne’s enthusiasm for his new role alongside other (less eccentric) local politicians and business leaders, will seek to use the Partnership as a way to share ideas and lobby the government to push forward with devolution plans.

Writing in the Sun, Osborne stated that he would “keep asking questions about what more we can do to help the north succeed”, encouraging regional powers to “take a greater role in deciding its own future.”

So it looks as if the Northern Powerhouse won’t be powering down any time soon.

Why Cabernet Sauvignon?

According to Wikipedia (the font of all knowledge):

“For many years, the origin of Cabernet Sauvignon was not clearly understood and many myths and conjectures surrounded it.”

Likewise, this seems to have been the case with the Northern Powerhouse. While it will inevitably always be linked with Osborne’s impassioned speeches in various Mancunian locations, it was a concept that many northern councils were advocating before Osborne took it to press.

During his time in Cabinet, Osborne was criticised for using the initiative as a means of political point scoring, but doesn’t this latest move show that he was genuinely passionate about the project? And won’t his continued involvement nsure the initiative keeps its momentum?

When it was first introduced, the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ was a concept that few fully understood - but now it is a well coined phrase, with positive connotations, that has re-ignited enterprise and regional pride in many northern cities. While this may not have extended to the North-East quite yet, it is promising to see that the project wasn’t boxed up with the rest of Osborne’s office stationary when he was handed his P45 by May.

A second parallel we can draw relates to the aging of Cabernet Sauvignon. In its infancy, the wine is strong and bold; but, as it ages, the taste mellows and it becomes more palatable, with a wider variety of food pairings. Hopefully, this will be the case with the Northern Powerhouse. With Osborne still on board, and a government-backed body now established, we must focus on the longer term, encouraging it to work in harmony with a wider variety of initiatives and interest groups throughout the north.

Cabernet Sauvignon production it is not restricted to one region. In fact, it is a wine which is produced in numerous old and new world countries, including France, Italy, California and Australia.

Similarly, the success of the Northern Powerhouse will be fully realised when all northern regions embrace the enthusiasm for change. Just like the growing of Cabernet Sauvignon, the method just needs to be adapted to suit the various climates.

Theresa May and (this) Malbec

Tasting notes: This week I am being rather specific with the wine suggestion, due to being absolutely blown away by the bottle in question. The 2014 Famiglia Bianchi Argentinian Malbec, which I had the pleasure of trying recently, was a lovely surprise. It tasted quite closed to begin with, but given some time, the complexities made themselves known and it was worth the wait!

Theresa May has been Prime Minister of Great Britain for just over two-months now, and has presided over arguably the most fractious period of UK politics in living memory. After taking the poisoned chalice from Cameron’s defeated grip, she has managed to restore relative calm in a sea of uncertainty and negative speculation.

Comparisons to Thatcher aside, she has shown herself to be a formidable force in Westminster already, taking no time to restructure government departments and proclaim, wholeheartedly, that the UK will be leaving the EU…eventually.

The date on which Article 50  (the formal application for EU member state withdrawal) will be invoked is still unknown. Former culture secretary, John Whittingdale, told the Telegraph recently that he has urged May to trigger formal withdrawal within the next few weeks, while May herself has said numerous times that she wishes to wait until early next year to proceed.

On the 7^th September, in the first Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) since the summer recess, May was quick to make clear to parliament that:

“We will not take decisions until we are ready. We will not reveal our hand prematurely and we will not provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiation.”

This was quickly followed by jibes from Corbyn claiming that there was evidently an “extraordinary lack of planning” by government on how to proceed, warning that “parliament and the public cannot be sidelined” on matters as important as this.

Yes, open government is desirable and the transparency of UK parliamentary proceedings is something that we should be proud of as a nation. But it is understandable that May wishes to take her time and analyse the situation carefully, before scrutiny and political point scoring muddies the water.

The day after this session of PMQs, May hosted a breakfast with the EU council president, Donald Tusk, to discuss how a positive working relationship could be developed. The two main topics on the agenda were the likelihood of securing a single market agreement, and immigration. 

Tusk tweeted, prior to the meeting, that he hoped to establish “the closest possible EU-UK relations” but that the “ball” is very much in the “UK court” in terms of starting negotiations.

Despite Tusk’s best efforts to persuade May to trigger Article 50 quickly, May remained resolute that no formal announcement would be made until 2017.

The pressure she must be feeling from the European Parliament’s lead Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, French president Francois Hollande and other EU leaders is surely immense, and so it demonstrates great strength and resolve that, rather than bowing to their demands, she is  standing firm in her opinion that this process should be orchestrated properly and with careful planning; in direct contrast to Corbyn’s criticism.

May’s recent meeting with G20 leaders was similarly intense. The US refused to make a trade deal with the UK a priority while negotiations take place and Japan issued an unprecedented 15-page warning on the consequences of Brexit - tough day.

China is also a troublesome voice in May’s ear, especially due to the uncertainty surrounding UK investment plans following the Hinkley debacle. This was an early example of the  caution exercised by May when it comes to important decisions. She delayed approval of the nuclear site at the eleventh hour, causing controversy and upset among  the Chinese and  the French, both of whom had  already sunk billions of pounds into the project. Admittedly, so has the UK.

It seems that May has a habit of taking a step back and delaying decisions, but in no way should this be viewed as a bad thing. Despite pressure from world leaders and domestic opposition,  she has not relented, giving parliament the  time it needs to look at the issues in depth. Time to debate, analyse and strategize, something that has perhaps been lacking in other, gung-ho, administrations.

On her recent flight to Hangzhou, China, recently, she spoke perceptively about the situation, commenting:

“I won’t pretend it is all going to be plain sailing. There will be some difficult times ahead. We will be looking ahead to the autumn statement. So in terms of how we are going to position things, the detail will be coming out then. What I’m clear about is I am going to continue as we have done in government over the last six years ensuring we are going to live within our means.”

 So it seems that we will have to wait until the Autumn Statement to hear her plan of action.

Why Malbec?

As mentioned in the tasting notes, this is not necessarily about Malbec in general, but about a specific bottle I had the pleasure of tasting at a lovely little place called Bakerie, located in Manchester Northern Quarter, recently.

I was lucky enough to be treated to the bottle by the evening’s host, who took the time to talk us through what to expect, the heritage, and the flavours to look out for. He then de-canted the wine for us, letting us taste it straight from the bottle (which had a closed and quite tart taste) before telling us to leave the wine untouched for ten minutes, to allow it to breathe.

The result? A juicy, fruity wine with rich aromas of plums, blackberries and cherries. Full-bodied and smooth.

This experience is one I think can be likened to Theresa May’s term so far. Taking on the role of Prime Minister at such a sensitive time required her to be strong and ‘full-bodied’, stating her intent and making her mark from day one.

Admittedly, she has been quite closed and guarded in her plans. No-one predicted the restructure of departments, no-one predicted Hinkley, and people are still struggling to predict what the next step will be in terms of Brexit. Like the wine, May's inaugural term in office has been rather 'closed' at first taste.

Having to wait for the wine to breathe at Bakerie was torturous. We could smell the wine, we were thirsty, and - after it had been built up so much by our host - we were desperate to try it.

When we finally got to taste it after ten minutes of patience, we were blown away by how luscious and flavourful it was. It lived up to all expectations and even exceeded them.

And I believe this will also be true of Theresa May. 

Patience is a virtue, and sometimes a little uneasy waiting can give/deliver the best results.

Leave it alone to breathe!

I for one will be waiting impatiently for the Autumn Statement, comforting myself with the hope that it will be just as satisfying as that Malbec. 

Fingers crossed that the 2014 Famiglia Bianchi Argentinian Malbec will be on the Bakerie wine list soon!

Enjoy!

The Labour leadership, Corbyn and Chianti

Tasting Notes: Most famously known as Hannibal Lecter’s beverage of choice, Chianti is a mysterious red wine from Tuscany. Characterised by its spicy, smoky and fruity flavour, it is perfect with a plate of cured meats (especially prosciutto) or… liver.

In a country where there are arguably only two real contenders for politcal power, Labour have not done the best job in proving themselves to be a viable alternative to the current Conservative government, seemingly cannibalising itself with factious in-fighting.

Owen Smith’s leadership challenge against Jeremy Corbyn, instead of allowing the party to debate ideological issues and thrash out a policy both sides can get behind, has instead further exposed the divisions, weakening the party from  inside like an apple with a rotten core.

Jeremy Corbyn remains the favourite; according to the most recent YouGov poll for The Times, he is which claimed Corbyn was likely to receive 62% of the vote, compared to Smith’s 38%, seeming to confirm the ongoing prediction that Corbyn will win.

A complex character, Corbyn has completely transformed Labour from a weak and arguably aimless party, under Miliband, to a bi-polar party which suddenly has a split personality, neither of which seems to be much better than Ed. Whoever wins, there is the very real possibility that a chunk of the membership will fall away which will be a tragedy for the party's prospects in the next General Election.

But can this be prevented?

Writing for The Guardian, Anne Perkins thinks it can, commenting: “Whoever wins has to be magnanimous. As a matter of urgency, the party must sort out the mess it has created.”

And it has created a mess. The fact that the clashes have resulted in threats that the Labour Party conference will need to be cancelled, not due to any external threat, but because no security firm would agree to take on the role of keeping the peace, shows that differences in opinion are not merely superficial and ‘forgivable’.

This amount of passion and desire for a greater Labour future is admirable, but the party is self-imploding; if they can’t rule themselves how on earth are they going to run a country that is still divided by the EU referendum?

The issue does not just lie with a differences in policy, but also with the fact that Corbyn is so demonised and disliked. By contrast, Owen isn’t hugely disliked by the media, he is just tolerated as the better of two evils.

Speaking in The Independent, Charlie Hammonds makes a very good point in his article entitled “I’m a reluctant Corbyn voter because Owen Smith isn’t the Labour Hero any of us want or need”.

He comments that: “Smith does not seem to inspire anyone on the basis of his policy, charisma or his vision of a new, progressive Britain. Instead, those who believe Corbyn has ripped apart their beloved party, united in desperation, are willing to turn to anyone in their time of need and make them their hero.”

Labour needs a leader which the whole party can get behind if they stand any chance of winning the next election. While the Conservatives may be tainted by Brexit, at least Theresa May seems to be doing a good job of uniting the party behind her, remaining realistic and balanced in her approach to leaving the EU.

In her first major interview since becoming Prime Minister, Theresa May warned Andrew Marr that Brexit would not be “plain sailing” but that she was committed to tackling the process rather than kicking it “into the long grass”. May's comments on PMQ's today seemed to suggest total transparency was on on the agenda but nevertheless, her commitment to leading the country forward in a decisive and pragmatic way still seems to be at odds with what is occurring in the Labour camp right now.

Luckily for Labour, May has ruled out the possibility of a snap election. 

The most recent media blow to Corbyn has actually underlined that divided support continues to do more harm than good.

For those who are unaware, this involved the reggae pop group UB40 (famous in the 80s and 90s) whose original members recently voiced support for Corbyn. A humorously drawn parallel, identified by the media, found that the second generation of the band, formed after the original group split, have declined to support Corbyn’s bid seeming to mirror the current situation quite well: old Labour in support, but after a bitter split (about Corbyn’s performance in the EU Referendum) the reformed group now wants to go in a ‘different direction’.

So what does the future hold for Labour?

When the results of the ballot are announced on 24^th September, the immediate aftermath will be crucial. If Corbyn can convince the disenchanted that he will be a real competitor in the next General Election not the scruffy, opinionated and grumpy man portrayed by the media, Labour may have a chance.

The problem is... he is scruffy and opinionated! I have also yet to see a picture of him smiling.

Why Chianti?

As mentioned in the tasting notes, Chianti is famous for being the beverage of choice for the most well know fictional cannibal, Hannibal Lecter and it does seem that the Labour Party is cannibalising itself. I am in no way trying to paint Corbyn (or Smith for that matter) as a psychotic serial killer, but what they are both doing the party is gruesome and difficult to watch.

However, this is as far as the analogy goes, as Hannibal is also a sophisticated and charming character… I can’t extend that compliment to either Corbyn or Smith, unfortunately.

From a wine-centric view point, the making of Chianti is a wine which has various styles. The flexibility of blends, which constitute a Chianti, accounts for its variability in taste, and so it is with Labour at the moment.

The taste can vary from floral and herbaceous to deep and smoky, with spicy undertones. Owen seems to represent a lighter version of Corbyn, offering a palatable alternative that can be drunk every day. Corbyn is more like an aged Chianti; it has a taste of tobacco and leather, 

In this great analysis of Chianti by the website, WineFolly, I don’t think Corbynites could deny him being compared to anything else:

“There will be a little coarseness and tartness on the palate, but these aren’t flaws, they are [just] classic characteristics.”

Enjoy!