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 and how Andy B might struggle, and what he’d introduce in the Midlands right away.
Andy started pretty firmly, stating that the next phase of UK regional growth will not be unlocked by policy tweaks, but instead, will require power, clarity and confidence from the nation’s and region’s leaders.
Background – The former West Midlands Mayor, alongside Andy Burnham, was part of the 2017 mayoral shift that saw a movement toward more executive regional leadership. By 2023, both were recognised as trailblazers and were negotiating directly with central government on further devolution.
From then, it’s been deemed that mayors are no longer symbolic figures, but rather delivery-focused executives, supposedly closer in influence to central government than a backbench MP.
Fiscal devolution is key – Street’s core argument was simple – without fiscal power, devolution remains incomplete.
The UK continues to lag behind the US, Germany and France, where regions retain and deploy locally-generated tax revenues. Current proposals such as retaining 2.5% of income tax locally would fundamentally change how regions plan and deliver.
This shift would enable:
- Long-term transport investment without central approval cycles
- Housing strategies aligned to local demand
- Skills pipelines built around real regional economies
Without this, regions remain dependent and constrained.
The lost West Midlands voice – From a comms perspective, Andy’s most striking critique was communicative rather than economic. He argued that the West Midlands has lost its ability to tell its own story. The humble Brummie is a phrase I hear time and time again at these conferences, but in reality, this modesty isn’t helping anything.
Despite clear strengths, our voice seems to have quietened.
Andy mentioned a reinvention, a louder business chorus and an alignment of across business, universities, sport and politics with a single narrative.
As someone in the business of brand communications, I’ve written countless brand narratives, but never one on the scale of an entire region.
The West Midlands has continually adapted from industrial powerhouse to modern and diverse economy. Diversity should also be reframed as a competitive advantage rather than a social talking point.
Immediate actions
We were fortunate enough to hear what top priorities Andy would action to support business, and in particular the West Midlands’ manufacturing heritage. He said:
- Remove energy levies that are hitting high-energy manufacturers
- Pursue sector-specific trade alignment with the EU to recover export performance
- Reverse tax disincentives affecting owner-managed SMEs
These are practical and economically significant for regional strength.
Leadership and scale – Andy reinforced the importance of consistency, drawing conclusions from the mayor cycle and the lack of stability at central government.
Commenting on Andy Burnham’s path to Prime Minister, his view was measured. The executive experience he has gained being Mayor will be valuable but the scale difference is significant, and the transition requires serious preparation. Preparation that Andy Burnham has not been afforded with.
The thread running throughout was consistency and accountability.
- Devolution without fiscal power limits delivery
- Economic strength without narrative limits growth.
- Leadership without prep limits credibility.
The West Midlands does not lack successes, stories or strength, it lacks alignment and a narrative that gets behind everyone that contributes to it.
This is a personal blog post. Any opinions, findings, and conclusion or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Centre for the New Midlands or any of our associated organisations/individuals.
ABOUT OUR AUTHOR:
Alia Al-Doori is the Managing Director of Pearl Comms. She is known for her creative approach to life and business. Alia has led agencies, clients and teams to get outstanding results regionally, nationally and at a global level.
With her passion for PR and comms burning for more than 15 years, she’s worked with some of the country’s brightest business minds and continues drive Pearl forward with her sharp thinking, strong vision, and undeniable skill in the game.
Armed with bags of experience, empathy and wisdom, Alia is a natural leader and keeps her army of Pearls innovating and striving for the best results for clients by driving a culture of curiosity, self-development and passion for the craft. No matter the conundrum or crisis, Alia is able to tackle it with confidence and clarity.
