5 october 2010, tuesday, brussels

There´s an old film, if it´s tuesday, this must be belgium. It is, and it is. I am here officially to chair a session on competitiveness and inclusion, and unofficially to lobby and learn more about how manchester can draw down more funding from the eu (19 may). Many ways it turns out, although the question is whether we are brave and radical enough in the teeth of cuts to invest in a team that can work at it night and day to craft opportunity and ruthlessly pursue it in the dogged and sophisticated manner it takes. The session itself was execllent, or as excellent as these things can be with 5 cities starting by setting out their wares. Swift chairmanship though carved out a half hour at the end for some robust discussion. Competitiveness, it seems, does not automatically help inclusion, although we all wish it did. Anyway, everyone went home happy, or went on to the next session of the 4-day open days for regions & cities. I did possibly my last ever "regional" dinner tonight, and am off home tomorrow morning. Exhausted.