The West Midlands must not be overlooked as the government rolls out its devolution plans, an MP has warned.
The discussion follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to establish No 10 North in Manchester as part of plans to move decision-making away from Westminster and hand more powers to regions.
Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti said there was a risk from the move that attention could become too focused on Greater Manchester at the expense of areas such as the West Midlands.
But Labour peer Lord Falconer defended the government’s approach, saying Burnham’s commitment to devolution was intended to benefit the whole country rather than a single city.
Bhatti said the West Midlands played a vital role in the UK’s economy, highlighting employers including Coventry-based Jaguar Land Rover, and argued the West Midlands should receive the recognition and powers needed to match its economic contribution.
“We’ve had a really good run as the West Midlands, as being a really confident, powerful region of the country, and we are absolutely important when it comes to the economic growth of this country,” the MP for Meriden and Solihull East said.
“Last year, Jaguar Land Rover had a torrid year, and look what happened to the economic stats of the country.
“[The] West Midlands is bigger than just one party.
“It’s bigger than any partisanship…all of us will have to come together and make noise, we need to be represented at the national level.”