30,000 new jobs by 2015: that is the glittering prediction made by the government as it
announces the creation of more enterprise zones this morning. 11 zones* have been identified in total, tailored to foster the expansion of hi-tech manufacturing industries away from London and the
M4 corridor.
Enterprise zones certainly have their critics – notably the Work Foundation’s Andrew Sissons, who told the Today programme that they were merely an “expensive way of moving jobs around the country.” But the coalition is adamant that it has learnt from past mistakes, insisting that the policy will rebalance the economy and rejuvenate regions that have been “left behind”.
There has been much talk in recent days about the deepening deprivations in the north. There is an assumption that enterprise zones will provide a lasting cure. Certainly, attention has already been paid to the north: zones have been introduced in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Humberside and the north east.
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