A new era of optimism in Downing Street can bring positive changes for my area.
This hugely important industry is undergoing rapid change. For the region that created the golden age of motoring, that’s an opportunity.
By working closely with Government to target investment, we have rekindled that creative spark that is one again catching the eye of the world.
They are chosen not from a factional or ideological standpoint, but from what I see while doing the job of Mayor.
Success in politics is about delivering the goods. This should provide encouragement to the local associations who fared less well last week.
In Birmingham, rail has recently become the leading mode for commuting – overtaking the car. This makes it the only city outside London where this is true.
Fittingly, the Black Country, synonymous with the heavy industry of the Industrial Revolution, aims to take the lead in building this new science of reclamation.
The New Zealand attack, the Birmingham school protests – and what we’re doing in the West Midlands to build cohesion and resilience.
Devolution has given us the chance to solve the long-standing transport and infrastructure problems which have been holding us back.
“We want to kick-starting a transport revolution that steers our population towards healthier ways of getting from A to B.”
From transport tech and data-driven healthcare, to creative enterprises and the services sector, we are forging ahead.
We need to take a dynamic new approach to our High Streets with ambitious thinking. The future is not just retail.
In the West Midlands, investment decisions have been deferred. We need to be able to push ahead with new trade arrangements around the globe.
It is a sad and all-too-obvious fact that most of the decision makers I meet in my role as Mayor are people who look like me.
The march of technology stops for nothing – not even Brexit – and the businesses and regions which embrace it will be the winners of the future.