Small sites, better neighbourhoods: A Midlands Housing Opportunity
A vacant corner plot, a redundant garage court, an awkward gap in a street. These places rarely dominate the housing debate, but I believe they deserve a more deliberate role in how we think about the Midlands’ future. Their potential begins with providing additional homes. It also extends to the streets, connections and shared spaces […]
Ending Rough Sleeping Takes More Than a Bed: A West Midlands View
Across the West Midlands, we know that rough sleeping is one of the clearest and most painful signs that something has gone wrong long before someone reaches a doorway, a tent or a car park. It is visible, urgent and unacceptable. But it is also complex. As chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority Homelessness […]
Labour’s effective nationalisation of the West Midlands’ bus network is socialism by the back door
Labour’s Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, and the Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, have announced new plans to bring the West Midlands’ bus network under public control. On Monday, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) approved the acquisition of National Express’s West Midlands bus operation. This effectively brings buses in the West Midlands into […]
The five key priorities for building a resilient, future-ready organisation
The business landscape in the West Midlands, and more widely across the UK continues to evolve rapidly as organisations respond to economic pressures, technology trends and new innovations. In the current climate, the organisations that will thrive over the next decade won’t be those that adopt the most technology. They’ll be those that manage change […]
Do we back our winners enough?
Today is A-Level Results Day. For thousands of young people across the country, this morning will bring celebration, relief, perhaps disappointment and, for many, the first big decision about what comes next. Some will head to university. Others will start apprenticeships, go to college, enter employment or take a different route altogether. And that is […]
We keep asking young people to be employer-ready. But are employers young-people-ready?
“Talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn’t.” It’s a phrase I return to often because it captures a major challenge facing young people today. We do not lack talent, potential or ambition. We lack enough routes for that talent to be seen, developed and given a fair chance to succeed. For years, the employability debate has focused […]
Andy Street on Burnham, devolution and the fight for a regional voice
At a time when the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has just got the biggest promotion of his life, we were privileged to hear from Sir Andy Street, another former Mayor, at the Centre for the New Midlands about his thoughts on what getting the top seat at the table might mean, where […]
The West Midlands at a Crossroads: Skills, Employability and the Power of Place
In the last few months, a set of national and regional reports and announcements have highlighted the challenges and opportunities relating to employability and skills within the West Midlands. Ours is a region of extraordinary potential. It has the youngest population of any region outside London, growing strengths in advanced manufacturing, health innovation, digital technology […]
Funding the Regional Government – Summary of a session at CFP26
In one of the final sessions of CFP26, this discussion explored one of the UK’s biggest economic challenges: how regional governments can secure the long-term funding and financial powers needed to drive sustainable growth. Bringing together perspectives from local government, infrastructure, investment and development, the session centred on moving beyond short-term grant funding towards a […]
In Conversation with Doug King – Summary of our closing plenary at CFP26
Doug King’s fireside chat with broadcaster Phil Upton explored the role that businesses, football clubs and local leaders can play in driving regeneration, pride and economic growth across the Midlands. Drawing on his experience transforming Coventry City FC, Doug shared his views on skills development, infrastructure, place-making, community engagement and the importance of building success […]