With all those centuries of entrepreneurial success behind today’s business community, it should be way ahead of other British cities, shouldn’t it?
Perhaps it’s expecting too much of a city which has been through three decades of near-collapse. Perhaps the dramatic loss of confidence both in the city and themselves has knocked the stuffing out of people who might otherwise be running businesses and creating wealth for Merseyside. Why else would this area be so far behind Manchester and Birmingham?
Perhaps Scousers are as stupid, lazy, feckless, and dishonest as they are made out to be in some quarters. Perhaps the talent and drive and courage has leached out of the gene pool and left a watered down version of history’s commercial, industrial and innovative giants. Perhaps we all ought to pack up and move to Leeds.
No? Then prove it. After decades of an image so negative even the seagulls were flocking to Warrington, the world has decided that Liverpool is cool again. Maybe not yet the coolest city on the planet, but getting there.
And if London journalists and the leader of the Tory party are promoting Liverpool as a great place to be, shouldn’t we start believing them?
Confidence to turn vision into reality, turn ideas into businesses, and turn small business into medium sized business – it’s being pumped in with the massive private sector investment from outside the city. So breathe in the new spirit of enterprise, and get cracking.