Since the June 2016 referendum result to leave the European Union, or Brexit, local authorities in the UK have been left with multiple challenges in securing trade and international connections. As UK central government shifts power to the local level through devolution, new forms of city diplomacy are sometimes proposed as a means to create opportunities for cities and regions in the UK to improve its international presence and further bring growth.
The research in JLGC’s paper seeks to understand the level of international activity carried out by Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and city regions in the UK since the referendum result. In particular, it looks to identify which parts of the UK are making their international activity most public; whether there are international strategies being developed as a consequence of Brexit; and which countries are involved in these international activities.
Online International Activity of UK Local Authorities 2017 can be downloaded here (PDF).
