The UK Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local
Government, and French Europe
Minister Nathalie Loiseau are co-hosting the first UK-France
Mayor’s Summit in London today (7 March).
The Summit brings together regional leaders from both countries
and delivers on a commitment from the UK-France Sandhurst Summit
(January 2018), where President Macron and Prime Minister
committed to strengthening
regional ties.
Communities Secretary, Rt Hon MP said:
“The UK’s relationship with France is essential to both our
countries, and has always been about more than the links between
our Governments.
“So I’m delighted that we’re reaffirming our commitment to
refresh and renew existing partnerships and to establishing new
ones between our villages, towns and cities.
“These partnerships are forged and developed at a local level and
this summit is about supporting our Mayors and Regional leaders
to pave the way for a brighter future, both economically and
socially, for all the people they represent.”
French Europe Minister, Nathalie Loiseau said :
“The UK is preparing to leave the European Union, but we are
determined to maintain and deepen our bilateral relations.
There are more than 1,000 local authority partnerships and
twinning schemes, and this is one of the most shining examples of
the relations between our peoples. They concern all our lives,
ranging from cultural issues through exchanges between young
French and British people and sport to more topical challenges
like social inclusion, employment and sustainable development.
They therefore embody the close ties of friendship that unite and
will always unite us. Elected representatives keep these
partnerships alive, and today we wanted to raise awareness of
their value by organizing this Franco-British Summit of Mayors.”
The UK-France Mayors’ Summit on 7 March is the next stage of that
story, bringing together regional leaders from both countries to
strengthen links, celebrate existing local and regional
partnerships and to set the foundations for those of the future.
The Summit will create a platform to deepen those existing
partnerships, and to develop practical and impactful new
opportunities. These are partnerships for the modern day and come
in different shapes and sizes - lasting for anything from 6 weeks
to 60 years. The objective is to learn and grow together,
recognising that many of the issues that face our regional
leaders are the same.
The Summit will:
- Reinforce successful long-standing partnerships: Bordeaux and
Bristol have a partnership that dates back to 1947 – the first UK
France partnership after the Second World War. More than 70 years
later, the partnership is thriving and exists to develop greater
understanding and friendship between the people of both cities.
With a current focus on culture, economic and educational links,
they will now develop this partnership for the benefit of the
cities and the people that live there. This includes by working
together in the digital, animation and aeronautic sectors. Leeds
and Lille and Nancy and Newcastle both recently celebrated 50
years of working together. They will now focus on identifying
shared priorities for the next 50 years. Lille is already sharing
knowledge with Leeds on how both culture and high speech rail
have transformed the regional economy. The President of the
European Metropole of Lille will meet the Mayor of Leeds next
week in Cannes to discuss enlarging economic and University
exchanges. Newcastle and Nancy are already working closely
together in areas of culture, education and community.
- Provide a platform for the new partnerships: Greater
Manchester and Montpellier are two forward-looking and
fast-growing cities, committed to using innovation to offer
unique education and business opportunities. The Summit will mark
the launch of their discussions on how to do so together.
Likewise, after more than 30 years of working together
bilaterally, Kent County Council, the Departments of Pas de
Calais, the North, and the Region of Hauts de France will
initiate a new model of multilateral co-operation for the benefit
of their inhabitants. They intend to engage with a range of
stakeholders including in business, higher education and with
community groups on either side of the Dover Strait.
- Enable London’s Olympic legacy to cross the Channel: The
Summit will bring together Saint Denis, Paris, Newham and the
London Legacy Development Corporation. Newham Council has used
the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics as a springboard to
regeneration, bringing with it thousands of local jobs,
investment and an enhanced reputation on the world stage. With
Paris set to host the Olympics in 2024, the partnership between
Saint Denis and Newham is a natural one enabling them to build on
a shared commitment to an inclusive and impactful Games and a
real lasting legacy for the people of Paris and London.
- Celebrate partnerships of all sizes: To emphasise that
partnerships are not all about big cities, the Summit will shine
a light on the new partnership between Tetbury and Chatillon Sur
Indre, which is already bearing fruit through school and
community exchanges. They participate together in small, low
costs events but which have a significant impact on the
opportunities for the local community.
These partnerships, which demonstrate that relations between
people’s and communities are as important as those between
Governments, will be part of building a shared future as the UK
leaves the EU.
