More than 600 of the region’s top business leaders today called on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to back a £3.2bn blueprint designed to kickstart the West Midlands economy, including SWM and some of our members! Bosses from across the region have signed a joint letter to the Chancellor urging him to put the Government’s financial firepower behind a far-reaching plan which aims to recharge the regional economy and create long-term prosperity.
Blueprint
The blueprint – Kickstarting the West Midlands Economy: Our Investment Case to Government – was presented to Government last week after being collectively drawn up by the region’s political, business, and trade union leaders. The blueprint put to Government includes three key business opportunities to create and safeguard thousands of jobs: The three are:
- Creating green manufacturing jobs by harnessing clean technology and electrification
- Turning HS2, Coventry City of Culture and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games into jobs for local people by accelerating major infrastructure investment
- Investing in healthcare innovation, capitalising on the region’s existing strengths as a centre for health research, and using this to improve the region’s health
The region has already received £84m from Government to continue its work on regenerating brownfield sites to build new homes. Now hundreds more bosses are backing the plan and pressing Government to help reset, rebuild and recharge the region. As well as manufacturers, service industries and universities, leading hospitality and culture businesses, including Edgbaston Stadium and the Royal Shakespeare Company, are among the 610 who have signed the letter. In their letter to the Chancellor, which was submitted by Black Country Chamber of Commerce with the support of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Chambers across the region, business chiefs say the Government’s support is vital to recharge the region’s economy and drive national recovery. For more information, click here.
