West Midlands Mayor: Cash plea for region is 'big roll of the dice'

The West Midlands Mayor wants a funding boost from Whitehall in order to press on with the region's ambitious industrial strategy, which aims to create thousands of skilled jobs, build new homes and improve transport links.

And he said that in order to "deliver true devolution" he also needs more control over key policy areas, including skills.

The Government is set to sign off on the industrial strategy in March, and the West Midlands is aiming to be the first region in the country to strike a deal.

Conservative Mayor Mr Street was speaking at a West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) event in Parliament, where he admitted he was launching "a big roll of the dice" with his cash plea to Ministers.

'Great progress'

He said: "We're making great progress with the industrial strategy, we have got some great results, but the message to government is that devolution is beginning to work for us in the West Midlands – you have got to back us further.

"The first thing I want is some cash. If we talk about the electrification of the automotive industry, they can help us with some practical things like the electric vehicle infrastructure charging points across the region."

The WMCA is getting £1.4 billion of Government funding over the next 30 years as part of two devolution deals, but Mr Street said he wants "tens of millions" of pounds more to ensure that progress is swift.

"This a big roll of the dice, and yes, at this point it is about cash. This is about a strategy for a region that has an economy the size of the Czech Republic that will last for a large number of years. It's a big deal and what we are asking for is proportionate to that."

The Mayor said that while the combined authority has some powers over land and transport, he wants the Government to put its trust in the region by giving him greater control.

Devolved skills system

He said: "We've began to make progress on getting some powers around skills... with the apprenticeship levy, for example, but it's still only a little progress. In a perfect world I would like the whole of the skills system to be devolved and run locally.

"That's logical for us to aim for. It's the driver of the economic outputs. We've demonstrated that we can be trusted and that we can get the job done.

"We also need to think about how we raise cash locally. I don't want us to keep going to London and asking them to sign off for a little bit of money. I would like us to have a block grant, for say, transport... it could be £10 million for five years, and then we would choose how to spend that.

"That's what true devolution is, rather than us telling them 'we've got a scheme here, you tell us if it's right'.

"The comprehensive spending review is this year, so this is the right time to be having this debate with Government."

'Unleash us'

Mr Street, who has previously warned of the dangers of a 'no deal' Brexit for the region's economy, added: "Brexit is going to happen at some point. We've got to think, 'where's the dynamo and the energy for the UK economy post-Brexit?'

"Our argument, is that it is here in the West Midlands. Our message is clear. Set us up for success, unleash us."

WMCA chair Bob Sleigh said it was vital that the industrial strategy "delivered for all communities", adding: "Time is of the essence, but we do believe we have the right plans in place.

"The West Midlands needs to be first in this race."

The event was hosted by Lord Snape of Wednesbury and KPMG's Birmingham office.

It was attended by business bosses, council leaders and MPs including Mike Wood, Pat McFadden, Emma Reynolds, Ian Austin, Eddie Hughes, Michael Fabricant, Preet Kaur Gill, Liam Byrne, Khalid Mahmood and John Spellar.