Lord Heseltine, the former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister, has called on the government to take bolder action to stimulate the economy.

In a report entitled ‘No Stone Unturned in Pursuit of Growth’, available to download here, Heseltine makes 89 recommendations. One of his key proposals is to switch funding from Whitehall and central government to the regions, by enhancing the role of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to bring together private and public sectors.

Heseltine told Radio 4’s Today programme that he wanted to “unleash the power of our big cities” such as Birmingham and Manchester.

And speaking in Birmingham today, Heseltine says: “What we need is a new partnership between the private and public sectors, between local communities and central government. Only in this way will we get the best use of our limited public funds and leverage in private investment.”

In response to Heseltine’s review, business secretary Vince Cable says: “Lord Heseltine’s findings show where government can improve its performance in delivering better interventions. We will need time to consider its numerous recommendations and will respond in the coming months.”