The opportunities to kickstart progress and prosperity in our region that devolution should bring just haven’t happened under the current Mayor.
There is already a postcode lottery in the NHS performance varies considerably. We need accountabiity, innovation and joined-up Government.
Thanks to our innovative approach, tens of thousands of West Midlands people are being handed the keys to their own properties. Housing targets have played a valuable part in making that happen – by galvanising us to work together and deliver on a regional level.
The A list and its successors haven’t kept a golden generation out of Parliament. Many of those who might have made it up aren’t putting themselves forward for selection in the first place.
The real returns we are seeing on Birmingham 2022 show what can be achieved by devolved decision making and local leadership.
Decentralisation sits comfortably within the Tory tradition – and pays clear political dividends as well.
With 1.5 billion people estimated to be tuning in, the Games will be a fantastic opportunity for my region – and the economic benefits are already apparent.
The Opposition currently talks a big game on devolution and planning reform. But for their actions to meet the scale of the challenge, the prize, and their own rhetoric, they will need a new approach.