The region is still strong Labour territory. We must ensure that Andy Street is at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
The image of large swathes of the north, as a post-industrial wasteland, filled with abandoned Victorian terraces, isn’t just wrong and offensive. It’s actively dangerous.
Labour losses was the big story here. Many working class voters switched to backing independents, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats also gaining.
Good luck to every Conservative standing for election today. Let us hope that in future much more power is devolved to the roles you are competing for.
Fittingly, the Black Country, synonymous with the heavy industry of the Industrial Revolution, aims to take the lead in building this new science of reclamation.
We must drive this project forward. It is a vital piece of infrastructure which could allow a million new homes to be built. But we need to sort out the route.