The Centre for the New Midlands (CNM) proudly hosted its annual Winter Reception last night (15 December) in the historic Churchill Room of the Houses of Parliament, bringing together policymakers, business leaders, and members of CNM’s Reimagining the Region network for an evening of insight, discussion and celebration.
Kindly sponsored by Weightmans LLP, the event provided guests with a unique Westminster experience—highlighting the importance of cross-sector collaboration in shaping the future prosperity of the West Midlands.
An evening of insight and regional leadership
Guests entered Parliament via Cromwell Green before gathering for a reception opened by Leon Emirali, broadcaster and Founder of Nostrada AI, who served as host for the evening. Chris Smith, Founder and CEO of the Centre for the New Midlands, welcomed the 90+ delegates (from across 65 different organisations) and provided insight into the Centre’s work over the past 12 months and what to look out for in 2026.
In a night of parliamentarians voting on key employment legislation, parliamentary meetings and receptions being hosted by the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, we were delighted to welcome Mary Creagh CBE MP (Minister for Nature and MP for Coventry East) as one of our keynote speakers. Mary provided insights into what she felt were the key aspects of the Budget and spoke of her enormous pride at representing the city of Coventry on the global stage.
Celebrating Weightmans LLP and regional representation
The evening also celebrated the work of Weightmans LLP, a long-standing supporter of CNM’s mission and a legal firm with deep impact across the West Midlands.
Sarah Walton, Managing Partner at Weightmans LLP, addressed guests as part of the Representing the Region segment, reflecting on the firm’s commitment to supporting regional growth, innovation and inclusive prosperity.
Walton was joined by Sarah Coombes MP, Member of Parliament for West Bromwich, who spoke passionately about the role of the West Midlands in driving national progress, emphasising the importance of civic leadership and partnership-building. Sarah outlined a number of the ways in which she was worked as a now ‘not so new’ MP to raise the voice of West Bromwich in Parliament. Sarah spoke passionately about her work to support the steel sector post the Brexit transition period and how the area has worked to reinvigorate its high street with a new indoor market supporting traders and bringing new footfall to the town.
To close the evening, Chris underlined CNM’s ongoing commitment to supporting the promotion of the West Midlands on the national stage and thanked members, sponsors, and parliamentarians for their continued support and collaboration, noting that the organisation’s work in 2026 will focus on deepening policy impact, expanding research initiatives, and amplifying regional voices within Westminster. An open invitation was also put to members to sponsor Connections for Prosperity 2026 – the annual regional policy conference for the West Midlands region!
