Core Cities Group

Belfast Birmingham Bristol Cardiff Glasgow Leeds Liverpool Manchester Newcastle upon Tyne Nottingham Sheffield Edinburgh class=notpageimage| Locations of the twelve members
Established	1995
Headquarters	Manchester Town Hall
Region served	United Kingdom
Director	Stephen Jones
Chair	James Lewis[1]
Staff	4
Website	www.corecities.com

TheCore Cities Group (alsoCore Cities UK) is a self-selected and self-financed collaborativeadvocacy group of large regional cities in the United Kingdom outsideGreater London. The group was formed in 1995 and serves as a partnership of twelve city councils:Belfast,Birmingham,Bristol,Cardiff,Edinburgh,^[2]Glasgow,Leeds,Liverpool,Manchester,Newcastle,Nottingham andSheffield.

The Core Cities Group has wide-ranging interests, encompassing transport and connectivity, innovation and business support, skills and employment, sustainable communities, culture and creative industries, climate change, finance and industry, and governance. During 2012, the first wave of city deals recognised the eight cities as "the largest and most economically important English cities outside of London".^[3] The group in 2020 featured a combined population of over 6 million within eleven of its cities.^[4] It has been considered one of the most powerful political lobbying groups in the country.^[5]

The Core Cities Group is represented on theLocal Government Leaders' Council by its chair.

The group formed in 1995 and membership was made up of eight local authorities withcity status; of which six aremetropolitan borough councils and two areunitary authorities in theEnglish local government system. These cities were:Birmingham,Bristol,Leeds,Liverpool,Manchester,Newcastle,Nottingham andSheffield. The local authorities came together to challenge the centralised nature of the British state^[6] by advocating for the devolution of greater freedom and controls.^[7] The eight city councils are also members of the pan-EuropeanEurocities network, a group co-founded byBirmingham City Council.

In 2003, theDeputy Prime MinisterJohn Prescott addressed the Core Cities Group, advocating "choke-off growth in the economic powerhouse of London and thesouth-east" in order to stimulate growth and productivity within the Core Cities.^[8]

With the exception of Bradford and Hull, the initial members of the group mirrored the firstcounty boroughs, that is the 10 English cities "dealt with as separate counties" under theLocal Government Act 1888. Since 2010, several British cities outside England began discussions for incorporation into the group. In August 2014,Glasgow joined the group as the first non-English city,^[9] followed byCardiff in 2014,^[10]Belfast in 2019, andEdinburgh in 2025.^[2]

In 2018, Bristol hosted the first meeting of Core Cities Group leaders withcombined authority mayors.^[6] In October 2018, the group published a report titled "Cities 2030: Global Success, Local Prosperity", arguing for the economic potential of British cities – where they lag behind international counterparts – combined with a vision for cities.^[7]

The Core Cities Group (CCG) have published research on the utilised benefits of more powerful cities that have greater economic control, particularly in growth and productivity.^[11][12] During the passage of theLocalism Act 2011, the group promoted the 'Core Cities amendment' to allow for bespoke decentralisation to its members, which was successfully incorporated.^[13] Several of the 'City Deals' subsequently agreed between theCabinet Office/Department for Communities and Local Government in 2012 included enhanced powers and city regional working at their core, including newcombined authorities, thanks to the provision.^[14] The introduction of directly-elected mayors to combined authorities in England and the devolution of housing, transport, planning and policing powers to them were provisions contained in theCities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016.^[15]

In 2015, the CCG published a report calling fordevolution to England that gives powers similar to those ofScottish Parliament and to give thecity-regions greater fiscal devolution by 2025.^[16] In 2016, Core Cities andKey Cities, together representing 36 of the UK's largest cities, issued a joint statement calling for greater powers to deliver a more inclusive economy.^[17] In 2020, the 11 councils of the CCG and the 32London Boroughs within theLondon Councils group agreed to lobby for greater fiscal devolution, including "the right to introduce atourism tax, borrow against future revenue and reforms tobusiness rates andcouncil tax."^[4][18]

An interest of the group is theHigh Speed 2 project to interlink the larger British cities faster.^[19] Believing it will bring an economic advantage to the core cities.^[20] In 2019, Judith Blake, chair of the Core Cities Group and leader ofLeeds City Council wrote "HS2 is more than just a railway line, it will unlock future jobs, training and regeneration opportunities that will benefit many of our 20 million citizens. Core Cities UK believes HS2 is a game-changer for the Midlands and the north".^[21]

The Core Cities Group has attempted to establish a dialogue with the European Union and the British government in thenegotiations to leave the European Union, following the2016 EU referendum. The combined electorate of the ten core cities saw 56% vote for remain.^[22] It was noted by Cardiff council leader Huw Thomas that EU investment out-weight the British Government's city deals.^[23] Because of this, the group has lobbied the government to maintain EU regeneration schemes in negotiations^[24] The group has also met chief European negotiatorMichel Barnier.^[23] In 2019, the leaders of the cities in the group sent a letter to Prime Minister May asking her to avoid a no-deal Brexit.^[25] The Core Cities Group cities were beneficiaries of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), an investment program designed to maintain town and city investment afterBrexit.^[26] The group criticised the government for the amount and asked that the fund be doubled to £4 billion to lead to its work reaching £28bn by 2026.^[27]

During theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom the Core Cities Group advocated City Recovery Deals and a Cities Recovery Fund to facilitate good finances for cities following the pandemic and itssubsequent lockdown.^[28] In May 2020, the CCG reported that those events had cost their councils £1.6bn collectively and advocated financial support fromHM Treasury.^[29]

• Official website
• Eurocities website

• Economy of Birmingham, West Midlands
• Economy of Bristol
• Economy of Cardiff
• Economy of Glasgow
• Economy of Leeds
• Economy of Liverpool
• Economy of Manchester
• Economy of Sheffield
• Interested parties in planning in the United Kingdom
• Newcastle upon Tyne
• Nottingham
• Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom
• United Kingdom industrial planning policy

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• Use British English from June 2017
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