The outgoing Mayor of the West Midlands says he is proud to have lost “by 1500 votes in a region of millions”, especially “given the situation the party finds itself in”.
The renaissance of places like Dudley demands great skills and single-minded determination. As Mayor, he has proven he has both.
On the doorstep, one lady recently proclaimed; ‘I won’t vote for anyone that sends people to Rwanda’. However, she was just as passionate about that broken pavement slab in front of her house, and that noisy pothole that keeps her husband up at night.
The West Midlands needs a financially-competent executive who will put the interests of its citizens above petty national politicking.
It can be transformative for young people, their families, their communities and – by creating a better skilled workforce – the wider economy too.
Meanwhile, the general public is also mobilising against council cuts. Backed by the city’s Conservative councillors, they are getting ready to fight their corner.
Thanks to our innovative approach, tens of thousands of West Midlands people are being handed the keys to their own properties. Housing targets have played a valuable part in making that happen – by galvanising us to work together and deliver on a regional level.
The longer Number Ten fails to declare, the more cheerfully Labour will pile in – preparing to frame the Prime Minister as a bottler if he waits until after the Budget to rule out a May poll.
Last week’s Autumn Statement signalled a significant shift in power in the UK. For the West Midlands, it delivered not only announcements that will help supercharge our economy, but a fundamental change in how this region will be run.
The Prime Minister will want to avoid the trap that Gordon Brown created for himself in the autumn of 2007.
The Prime Minister’s proposals for Euston provide the key: a new partnership with business to draw up a new, viable plan for a 21st-century railway between Birmingham and Manchester.
The effect of the train strikes on attendance, the trauma of recent years, and the change in the nature of the Tory Conference itself leave the question hanging.
Part of Birmingham’s role is to be the city at the centre the West Midlands, as our mission to renew our region continues. It saddens me that this self-inflicted wound could make that more difficult.
There’s undoubtedly a lot to do before 2030 and beyond. But our target drives the investment and innovation needed to deliver the electric vehicle transformation, lower people’s bills, create jobs, and tackle climate change.
MP and activist responses to the local elections are likely to hinge on what happens in both the West Midlands and Tees Valley. If the Conservatives lose one or both of them, the backbench vultures will likely begin to circle.