Last week Downtown Liverpool in Business, in association with the Northwest Development Agency, Noname Kitchens, Brabners Chaffe Street, City Talk and Grant Thornton, organised 'Liverpool Business Week.'
The week consisted of a series of high profile events, with decision makers and opinion formers addressing more than 400 business leaders throughout the programme.

Last week Labour minister Tom Harris was berated by all leading political and media commentators for suggesting that UK citizens were relatively well off and should cheer up!
Generally speaking, it would be hard to disagree with him. Average wage levels have increased since 1997, living standards have improved, more people own their own homes, and we have record numbers in employment. Public services have benefited from the biggest injection of cash ever, and the country's inner cities, not least Liverpool, have been regenerated and transformed.

It is always satisfying for a lobbying group when ideas and policies that it has articulated and campaigned for are adopted by decision makers and governing agencies.
Since the establishment of Downtown Liverpool in Business (DLIB) four years ago, we have been successful in persuading the public sector to introduce - or indeed abandon - a number of initiatives that have been important to our membership, and the wider business community.

For the past 99 years - well, that's how it feels - those of us who have been travelling in and out of Liverpool on a daily basis, fighting through the 'big dig' and with the army of traffic wardens, have been told by the powers that be 'no pain, no gain'.
Now, as Liverpool ONE unveils phase one of its billion pound plus retail, leisure and commercial development, there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

The collective sigh of relief among the membership of Downtown Liverpool on hearing the news that Warren Bradley had been re-elected as Leader of Liverpool City Council last week was almost audible.
Of course, there was an element of 'better the devil you know' in respect of that reaction. Bradley's rivals, Richard Kemp and Paul Clein, though experienced politicians, are very much unknown quantities to the business community.

For the first time in a decade, the Conservative Party under the leadership of David Cameron looks to have a realistic chance of winning a General Election for the first time since 1992.
Gordon Brown has experienced a horrible time since taking over the role of Prime Minister last year, with a series of mistakes and mishaps that culminated in the Labour Party's trouncing at the local elections earlier this month.

Like it or not, it is people or personalities who make a difference, make things happen and make cities great.
Liverpool has slowly but surely been building a team of characters who, individually, can boast impressive track records, and together, can take the capital of culture to the next level.

That old chestnut of 'too many empty city centre apartments' returned with a vengeance this week, with a local estate agent predicting that the current 'credit crunch' was likely to see about 25% wiped off the value of many city centre flats.
This announcement led to the inevitable conclusion by some, that this was because too many developments had taken place in Liverpool City Centre in recent years, and that it was time for the council to place a ban on all future residential schemes.

Last week I took a trip over to the 'dark side', attending the annual dinner of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce at the G-Mex centre as a guest of my good friend, and Liverpool Daily Post columnist, Jim Hancock.
There is much to admire about the lot from the other end of the East Lancashire road. From a tired and dull industrial town, Manchester has transformed itself into arguably the UK's second city.