Andy Street's message to ministers in keynote speech: back us and we will deliver

The region's Mayor is set to open the conference at Birmingham's ICC tomorrow, which comes after global markets were plunged into turmoil in the wake of the Government's mini-budget.

Mr Street has backed Prime Minister Liz Truss to turn things around, urging her to get people on side by laying out a clear economic strategy and following it to the letter.

And the Mayor will use his speech to call on ministers to "get behind" the West Midlands as an area that can spearhead the country's economic revival.

Mr Street said he plans to reflect on the "huge progress" made across the region in the four years since the last Tory conference in the city.

He will highlight large scale regeneration projects in Dudley, Wolverhampton and Birmingham; and the "significant improvement" in skills and qualifications which has helped to bring investment into the region.

The Mayor will also point to the region's success in achieving housing numbers by working in collaboration with local authorities and the private sector.

Mr Street told the Star: "We have proved time and time again, back us and we deliver. Look at the Commonwealth Games and the regeneration that is taking place across our region.

"Therefore my message to government is this: continue to back us and we will deliver again. Liz Truss has recommitted to levelling up during her leadership campaign. We are the place to do that, so get behind us."

The Mayor conceded that heading into the conference his party was in the doldrums after a major slump in the opinion polls, which came after tax cutting measures announced in the Chancellor's mini-budget sparked a £65bn intervention from the Bank of England.

He said he was concerned about the state of the economy but insisted the PM would "act quickly" to lay out a plan that would "give people hope".

"The opinion polls don't lie," Mr Street said. "But we shouldn't be too stressed about it. "We knew there will be bumps along the way. We need a response, and that means putting a clear plan in place and delivering on it.

"Liz Truss said on the steps of Downing Street, 'deliver, deliver, deliver'. That is what needs to be done."

Mr Street baulked at Labour claims that the mini-budget had been heavily weighted make wealthy people even wealthier.

"The measures on National Insurance and energy support, the planned investment zones, these are things which will benefit millions of working people," he said.

"It would be wrong to say it was just for the rich people."