From sports quarter to growth plan to bin strikes \u2013 in an exclusive interview with TheBusinessDesk.com, West Midlands mayor Richard Parker spoke to me about what he\u2019s been up to since he came into office.<\/p>\n
I should start by saying that I\u2019m not easily impressed by politicians \u2013 especially those who focus on charm or charisma at the expense of policy and integrity. After my conversation with Parker, however, what appealed to me was exactly that his profile as a politician is strengthened because of his focus on policy, and certainly what appears to be a genuine commitment to serving the people and the region for which he is responsible.<\/p>\n
Progress so far: transport, housing, regeneration<\/p>\n
Parker told me he was really pleased with the progress he has made in office up until this point, on a number of fronts. He mentioned his Growth Plan which launched in July and is \u201ca really important statement of our intent and our ambition for growth\u201d.<\/p>\n
Another key area of progress was a proposal on bus franchising \u2014 now approved \u2014 which was one of Parker\u2019s big priorities when he got elected. \u201cWhen I was campaigning, people were telling me that the biggest frustration was that the bus network doesn\u2019t work for them,\u201d he said. With 80% of public transport users in the region using buses, he emphasised the importance of making the bus network and services fit for purpose.<\/p>\n
One thing Parker can safely boast about is having delivered 10 times more social housing than his predecessor Andy Street. Where Street only delivered 46 units over his two terms in office, Parker said he has delivered over 700 in one year. He emphasised wanting to use the housing funds available \u201cto improve people\u2019s lives\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround 4000 families and 13,000 children are living in poor quality temporary accommodation that is blighting their lives. I\u2019ve met a number of those families now, and getting them out of that accommodation into safe and secure homes is a big priority for me, \u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Of course, any conversation around recent progress would be incomplete without a mention of plans around Birmingham\u2019s Sports Quarter development. Parker spoke of the collaboration with Knighthead Capital, the owners of Birmingham City FC, for the regeneration of what he described as \u201cone of the most deprived parts of Birmingham\u201d.<\/p>\n
Current priorities: Sports Quarter and beyond<\/p>\n
Asked about plans that are being prioritised at the moment, Parker\u2019s response \u2013 perhaps unsurprisingly \u2013 prominently featured development of the Metro line using the allocated government funding. He said: \u201cWe\u2019re going to be using somewhere around \u00a3350m for that line which will help deliver \u00a33bn of private sector investment. That\u2019s not just into a new football club but into new homes, new jobs and new sports culture that will regenerate that bit of Birmingham, and importantly for me, create opportunities for some young people, particularly from some of the poorest parts of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also mentioned a push to unlock growth in other parts of the region by connecting the Metro line from the Sports Quarter through East Birmingham and North Solihull to Adam Cross Station, opening up more opportunities. Plus three \u201cinvestment zones\u201d which are aiming to deliver around \u00a35bn of investment and create 30,000 jobs.\u201dMy priority is to ensure those jobs go to people living, learning and training in the West Midlands,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
At this point, the obvious question was whether Parker\u2019s plans, ambitious as they were, were realistically achievable \u2013 or if they were possibly too big? I asked if he worries at all that by the time he\u2019s finished his term, these plans won\u2019t have been realised.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I think my role is a strategic one,\u201d said Parker, emphasising that his focus is to set the strategic direction and objectives for his office during this term.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIf we\u2019re going to address the challenges we\u2019ve got around growth and productivity, we need to make some big decisions to improve levels of investment and the quality of our transport infrastructure.\u201d He acknowledged that while that will take time, there are already signs that what his office has been doing is making a difference. While HS2 isn\u2019t going to be ready for a while, he said, \u201cwhat we\u2019ve got to do is leverage the funding on the back of that investment.\u201d<\/p>\n
He went on to share some of the things taking place at a local level on a daily basis. \u201cSome of those are well known, some aren\u2019t,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cOperationally, we\u2019re doing things all the time to make a difference\u201d. He mentioned \u00a325m in grants to small businesses as one example, which the businesses have used to lever in \u00a320m worth of match-funding, helping 20,000 small businesses throughout that process.<\/p>\n
Another example he gave was the deal brokered with the government, JLR, and the US which saved 35,000 jobs in the region. \u201cSo I might have this big vision stuff to do, but every day we\u2019re working to ensure that this region succeeds \u2013 the big difference I can make to this region is truly focusing on some of the big strategic interventions that are going to turn the dial in a really material way\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Binfire Birmingham? Image and opportunities<\/p>\n
In the past year we have undoubtedly seen some difficult times for Birmingham in light of globally reported bin strikes, the ensuing chaos, and associated challenges with image and reputation for the city, and the region by extension. Governing and representing the region against this backdrop is no small feat.<\/p>\n
Parker shared his frustrations, not necessarily around the challenges themselves but more so due to a certain sensationalisation in the media and irresponsible reporting. He said: \u201cMy job is to not be in denial of some of those challenges, but also to stand up for this place.\u201d<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that crippling cuts to government funding for the city council have played a huge role in the difficulties facing Birmingham today, also pointing out that these cuts made some of the poorest communities more vulnerable. \u201cI will stand up against that, and I always have done,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t buy into the mantra that this has just been a wasteful council.\u201d<\/p>\n
But he also pointed towards what he described as a media frenzy around the bin strikes, with many major media outlets acting irresponsibly. \u201cThere were still pictures of piles of bins and rubbish on street corners, weeks, if not months, after, those streets had been cleared,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cThat\u2019s not to say that wasn\u2019t a difficult period, but I believe many of our communities and the role of the council was terribly misrepresented.\u201d<\/p>\n
On a positive note, he emphasised that investor sentiment has been largely unaffected by that negative media coverage. Surveys and consultations with businesses have reflected very positive investment sentiment around the region, with investors not dissuaded by negative headlines. Parker also mentioned a trade visit to China in March where he met with a business wanting to set up its HQ in the West Midlands, and no one brought up the bin strikes or raised any concerns around them in light of the possibility of investing.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy role is to promote the region and to make as much as we can of the good news,\u201d he said, going on to give the example of Knighthead Capital\u2019s investment bringing about \u201cthe largest property regeneration project anywhere in the UK, outside London, for decades\u201d. Parker also mentioned the work being led by Stephen Knight in Digbeth around creative industries, the three investment zones spanning the whole region, record transport funding from the government, and the National Investment Summit in Birmingham in the autumn as other examples of the region attracting positive interest.<\/p>\n
Cuts, cuts, cuts: advocating for local government<\/p>\n
Given the struggles caused by brutal cuts and lack of funding from central government in recent years, it can\u2019t be easy trying to make a difference at regional or local government level.<\/p>\n
When asked if Parker would describe himself as an advocate for local authorities, he said: \u201cI think, really importantly, my understanding and recognition of the importance of local government has meant that we\u2019ve been lobbying for a better funding settlement for the West Midlands councils. And I\u2019m really pleased that the government are undertaking a review currently of fair funding for local authorities.\u201d He added that he was optimistic about seeing a positive outcome for the councils through this review.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhilst I\u2019m not here to bankroll or bail out our councils,\u201d he said, \u201csome of the work we\u2019re doing on skills training will increase the prosperity and the prospects of people living in those places,\u201d adding that 55,000 people have been given access to skills training during his term. He also said progress on social and affordable housing will help relieve councils from the burden of supporting families in very expensive, often insecure temporary accommodation.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a clear sense of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) working in partnership with councils in order to address their priorities. \u201cWhen we\u2019re working together collectively on the right things, we can achieve a lot,\u201d said Parker. He emphasised that irrespective of the size of the councils, all of the council leaders \u201care equally important\u201d and have equal status on the board.<\/p>\n
Relationship with businesses: access and support<\/p>\n
Asked specifically about his relationship with businesses, Parker said: \u201cI\u2019ve always said I want [the West Midlands] to be the best place in the UK to do business.\u201d He went on to give examples of regular meetings with businesses and investment zones as a demonstration of his active support, adding that the Growth Plan was built with business in mind. \u201cI do want businesses to know that it\u2019s important for me that I present the case of business to government,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He also emphasised prioritising better support for SMEs via the WMCA and West Midlands Growth Company and working with council leaders to ensure they focus on growth and provide as much support as needed for business in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s only through businesses succeeding that we can grow our economy, and it\u2019s only by our businesses succeeding and growing our economy that we can provide the opportunities, particularly to our young people, that I want to develop here. So the relationship between the political office of the Mayor, the Combined Authority and businesses, is absolutely the fabric to our success,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While success can be relative in some instances, it can also often be quantifiable and measurable. And if one were to measure success by investment, infrastructure, economic support or housing in the region, Parker does seem to be on the right track.<\/p>\n