Open letter to the new Prime Minister
Ahead of today’s result of the Conservative Party leadership election, the Chairs of our Leadership Boards have put some of their immediate ‘asks’ to the incoming Prime Minister for what the West Midlands needs to become a ‘better’ region. Open letter to the new Prime Minister – Centre for the New Midlands The Prime […]
Industrial revolution to digital evolution: How the West Midlands is helping to drive Britain’s digital future
The Midlands isn’t just the birthplace of the industrial revolution – the region has been at the forefront of one of the world’s most vibrant digital industries throughout the late-20th and early-21st century: Video games. In this article, Philip Oliver (Co-Founder and CEO, Panivox) explores the state of the industry and how video […]
£1.2 billion for Birmingham 2022? Big prizes come with hefty price tags
Post a triumphant ‘Birmingham 2022, the pressure is now firmly on the ‘West Midlands region’ to deliver one key word, which means so many different things to so many different people. Legacy. In this article, Chris Smith (Founder and Managing Director, Centre for the New Midlands) asks the question of whether we expect […]
Chief Executive of Coventry City Council joins CNM’s Summer Reception to explore the future of cities
August 2022 The Centre for the New Midlands held its Summer Reception in Coventry, as part of its ‘Reimagining the Region’ programme. Chief Executive of Coventry City Council Professor Martin Reeves offered a valuable insight into the future of the city at the event hosted by CWR radio presenter Phil Upton. The Centre for the […]
Are we cyber security active in the Midlands?
The challenge of cyber security often starts with more questions than answers. When thinking about it from a regional perspective, interesting points to consider are how well served we are in terms of related skills and expertise, and what organisations in the region ought to be doing to protect themselves. In this article, Professor […]
Slowly, and then all at once: reflections on six years of campaigning for exempt accommodation reform
A recent government inquiry into exempt accommodation, and a subsequent ministerial announcement promising reform, have been welcomed by many in the sector. In this article, Thea Raisbeck reflects on the long road to change and how, whilst this feels like the biggest chance to implement quality, consistency, and accountability in the supported housing […]
Homelessness needs a pluralistic approach to addressing its numerous causes
As part of our ambition to provide early career researchers and recent graduates with an opportunity to share their thoughts and expertise on how we build a better region, we are delighted to welcome an article from Craig Mitchell. Craig graduated in May 2022 from the Open University and shares his thoughts on […]
Some thoughts on a ‘Year of Council’……
In May 2021, Chris Burden was elected as a Labour Party Councillor to Wolverhampton City Council, representing Fallings Park ward. A year on and Cllr Burden is now in the midst of his PhD in social science at Aston University and has recently been appointed as the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, […]
Levelling Up: a Digital perspective
As the ‘levelling up’ agenda takes shape across the country, Professor Ardavan Amini (CEO and Founder of EsseSystems and Chair of the Digital Leadership Board at the Centre for the New Midlands) considers what it means in the context of digital environments and its eco-systems across the United Kingdom and in particular, […]
The public want historic buildings to be the cornerstone of levelling up
In this article, Mike Crowhurst (Former No10, DCMS and Cabinet Office Special Adviser, now leading Public First’s work on levelling up) introduces the findings of a recent report commissioned by Historic England and produced by Public First, which explores the role of historic buildings, industrial heritage and historic parks in fostering civic pride […]