In Conversation with Sir Andy Street – Summary of our afternoon plenary at CFP26
In a wide-ranging fireside discussion at the Centre for the New Midlands’ Connections for Prosperity conference, former West Midlands Mayor Sir Andy Street reflected on leadership, devolution, economic growth and the future of the centre-right in British politics. Drawing on his experience in business and public office, he argued that the UK’s long-term prosperity depends […]
Affordable Housing – A Regional Success Story? – Summary of a session at CFP26
The panel session Affordable Housing – A Regional Success Story? brought together senior leaders from across the housing sector to examine whether the Midlands can genuinely claim to be leading the way in delivering affordable homes—and what still needs to change. Chaired by Joe Reeves, Deputy Chief Executive of Midland Heart, the discussion featured Rebecca […]
Reindustrialisation: from Cameron to Burnham
Reindustrialisation is back on the political agenda In the early years of David Cameron’s premiership, he told a client of mine that their project could help his government reindustrialise the north. More than a decade later, Andy Burnham is using the same language again – and the question is whether this time it can become […]
‘Where the West Meets the East: Building a Midlands Response to the Northern Powerhouse’ – Summary of a session at CFP26
In one of the opening breakout sessions at the Centre for the New Midlands’ Connections for Prosperity conference, a panel from across the broader Midlands region explored how the East and West Midlands can work together to strengthen the region’s economic voice, attract investment and ensure the Midlands is not overshadowed by the renewed focus […]
‘A New Political Chapter for Birmingham’ – CFP26 Opening Plenary summary
Connections for Prosperity 2026 opened with an engaging interview between Birmingham City Council’s newly elected Leader, Cllr Roger Harmer, and Deputy Leader Cllr Julien Pritchard, hosted by broadcaster Phil Upton. Against the backdrop of May’s landmark local election result, the conversation explored what the new coalition administration means for Birmingham and how it intends to […]
West Midlands leaders unite as Devolution firmly returns to the national agenda
Working together to improve the prosperity of the West Midlands is more important than ever now devolution is back on the political agenda, a major policy event heard. The fourth Connections for Prosperity Conference, hosted by Midlands thinktank the Centre for the New Midlands, saw around 260 delegates from business, government, academia and charity come […]
The Future of Renting: Housing Leaders Debate Reform
Housing leaders, policymakers, researchers, landlords and tenant representatives came together at Birmingham Council House this week for the Centre for the New Midlands’ latest housing policy event, exploring two of the biggest questions facing the private rented sector: how can we strengthen the tenant voice, and are rent controls the answer to improving affordability? Sponsored […]
The politics behind the Government’s latest planning intervention
This week, the Government revoked planning powers for nine local authorities across England, including three in the Midlands. It means developers can apply directly to the Planning Inspectorate, rather than through the local planning authority. Described as a ‘Whitehall power grab’ in Cherwell and ‘taking democracy away’ in Staffordshire Moorlands, Malvern Hills and Wychavon District […]
The Real Measure of Success: why Policymakers Need to Rethink Infrastructure Investment
For decades, transport policy in the UK has been dominated by a familiar narrative: bigger projects deliver bigger results. Success has often been measured through the lens of scale, whether that is the number of miles of new infrastructure built, the size of investment secured, or the volume of passengers moved. Yet as the country […]
It is not a skills shortage, it is a coordination shortage
Every few months a new report warns that the UK has another skills shortage. Employers cannot recruit, colleges need more funding, and young people are leaving education without the qualifications businesses need. Government responds with another strategy, another funding stream or another organisation designed to solve the problem. Yet despite years of reform, many of […]