The blog was first published in the NS Tech, part of the New Statesman. The reality is when dealing with productivity there are fundamental drivers academia and policy have recognised for a long time, so making the next iteration of policy different and new is incredibly hard. The government’s industrial strategy white paper is no different; there is … Continue reading “Is the government’s new industrial strategy really a game changer?”
Author: Rebecca Riley
#Budget2017 – Sailing the ship in troubling times
This year’s autumn statement paints a dramatic statement for growth prospects, with the growth forecast for 2017 downgraded from 2% to 1.5% and GDP falling further to 1.4%, 1.3% and not rising until 2020. Business investment has been revised down and CPI forecasts it to fall later this year. £3bn has been set aside to … Continue reading “#Budget2017 – Sailing the ship in troubling times”
The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 – Economic climate and context for Birmingham
The Birmingham Economic Review was produced in October 2017 by City-REDI, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West Midlands Growth Company. The review highlights the current strengths and weakness of the Birmingham economy, as well as looking at the opportunities and threats that might impact upon it in the future. Over the next few weeks, we will be … Continue reading “The Birmingham Economic Review 2017 – Economic climate and context for Birmingham”
UK Evaluation Society is launching a Midlands Regional Network
The UK Evaluation Society (UKES) is launching a Midlands Regional Network with City-REDI as a founding institutional member as part of its commitment to building analytical capability in the region. The Society exists to promote and improve the theory, practice, understanding and utilisation of evaluation and its contribution to public knowledge and to promote cross-sector … Continue reading “UK Evaluation Society is launching a Midlands Regional Network”
New York to Birmingham – why the Birmingham Economic Review matters internationally
Writing economic reviews is a fine art. There is a delicate balance to be struck between the realistic representation of a place and developing our understanding so we can improve it, painting a picture which does not undermine that which we wish to improve. City-REDI and the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Chambers launched the Birmingham … Continue reading “New York to Birmingham – why the Birmingham Economic Review matters internationally”
Mayors should be ignored by the government at their peril – the redefinition of democratic power
Joseph Chamberlain ‘got things resolved’ despite not having the powers of the new mayors said John Cridland, chair of Transport for the North, at last week’s DevoQT event at the Tory Party conference in Manchester. The power to convene, bang heads together and drive change just by virtue of the office was a theme emphasised … Continue reading “Mayors should be ignored by the government at their peril – the redefinition of democratic power”
Connectivity and growth – are Engines, Powerhouses, Combined authorities the solution?
“If devolution is a journey, the current deals are not the destination”, was an underlying theme in the discussion at the City-REDI sponsored the Labour Party Conference fringe event on connectivity and growth (organised by Devo Connect). The current approach of making cities and (as Sir John Peace pointed out) other areas compete for limited … Continue reading “Connectivity and growth – are Engines, Powerhouses, Combined authorities the solution?”
What should the Mayor do on skills & housing?
Skills is a significant issue for the West Midlands but it’s structural and deep seated nature means 100 days of Mayoral activity is only the start. Solutions are long term and require fundamental changes to the regional economy, labour market and delivery structures. It’s vital the Mayor puts in place a programme of change that … Continue reading “What should the Mayor do on skills & housing?”
AnalystFEST #2 event report
City-REDI and Black Country Consortium co-hosted the second of our Analystfest events, aimed at bringing together researchers and analysts from across the region. The session focused on the West Midlands Performance Monitoring Framework and the latest ‘State of the Region’ about to be published. The purpose of the event was to review the document and content … Continue reading “AnalystFEST #2 event report”
Strong and Stable Leadership – why city leadership becomes more important in times of national turbulence
To say we are in interesting times would be an understatement, the recent general election has plunged us further into uncertainty. Putting aside the rights and wrongs of holding the election and the unfolding political alliances it’s important to remember that on the ground people and businesses are struggling to keep up with the changes … Continue reading “Strong and Stable Leadership – why city leadership becomes more important in times of national turbulence”