Britain is going through a difficult time, when its sustained ability to punch above its weight, economically and diplomatically, is ebbing. The end of irrational exuberance found the country ill at ease with itself, with rising inequalities and unhealthy nationalism, just when it needs to be fleet-footed in recognising that many of the traditional pillars of its strengths have changed. The need is to recognise other supports and partners and find a new common purpose after the pandemic. I live in hope.

uk can't succeed without supercharging places like manchester

[Sir Tom McKillop] Expectations remain that this will be the Chinese century, yet Manchester's GDP today is still 25% higher than Beijing's. At the very least there's all to play for. Invention and innovation and not just the past but also the present and the future of "Emerging Manchester"...

Attached File: Manchester needs to adopt a global outlook (June 2008).docx