Regions propose a ‘Western Powerhouse’

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns has said that a ‘Western Powerhouse’ between Cardiff, Newport and Bristol can boost job prospects across the whole region and rival the Northern Powerhouse.

Also drawing similarities to the Midlands Engine, Cairns has set up a Severn Growth Summit in Newport, with 350 delegates, aiming to challenge the economic barrier between communities in Wales and England.

As the tolls for the Severn Bridge face being phased out this year, Cairns believes that people and businesses would need to become more integrated, although sceptics have warned that the Welsh economy could be harmed and such partnerships could undermine devolution.

Cairns said: "For the 20 years we have been talking about devolution we've been talking about collaboration but that collaboration doesn't stop at the Welsh border. This is about doing the right thing for businesses and for the economy in order for both sides to grow and I think Wales has a lot to gain," he said.

"I think the whole mass of the great western cities of Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, Bristol and Bath, combining the might of them and all of a sudden if you are an international investor you can see what all these cities have to offer, how they dovetail and how they come together."