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”

Welcoming our new City Orchestrators – enabling the music to play on, play loud and play far

The mayoral role is influencing, lobbying, persuading, networking, bringing people together and seeing possibilities, but it is also banging heads on occasion. A mayor is a conductor… at the centre of a network of institutions, bringing them together effectively and drawing on the ability of the wider organisations when needed. This is a unique centre … Continue reading “Welcoming our new City Orchestrators – enabling the music to play on, play loud and play far”

WMCA Productivity and Skills Commission Launch – Call for Evidence

Achieving the scale of ambition… Today was the launch of the West Midlands Combined Authority Skills and Productivity Commission call for evidence. The WMCA Productivity Leadership Group, led by Dr Andy Palmer and bringing together business leaders from across the LEPs, will ensure that WMCA plans to drive productivity are designed by and for local … Continue reading “WMCA Productivity and Skills Commission Launch – Call for Evidence”

The problem with women; versus the solution of women

Reflections from Rebecca Riley on the world of work for International Women’s day 2017. As a woman, I find the attitude that women are a problem to be solved frustrating as it sees half of the population as an issue to be dealt with, a generalisation which of course isn’t true. As someone interested in … Continue reading “The problem with women; versus the solution of women”

DevoConnect/City-REDI mayoral hustings: Innovation and Intervention – Igniting the Midlands Engine

Last night @CityREDI hosted the latest in a series of @DevoConnect mayoral hustings at the University of Birmingham’s Business School, chaired by our very own Director, Professor Simon Collinson. A well-attended, stimulating event with some excellent questions it presents an opportune point to reflect on the mayoral process so far and how candidates are shaping … Continue reading “DevoConnect/City-REDI mayoral hustings: Innovation and Intervention – Igniting the Midlands Engine”

Uniting the City – The first challenge for city leadership

The political events of 2016 exposed huge divisions within UK society. Here, City-REDI’s Rebecca Riley speaks of the need for cities to be looking for ways to bring our communities back together again. There are some important lessons to be learnt from the political turmoil of 2016 which exposed a number of major challenges for … Continue reading “Uniting the City – The first challenge for city leadership”

After the Autumn Statement, winter is coming?

This year’s Autumn Statement paints a dramatic statement for prospects for growth. Instead of being in the black we are now in the red. Borrowing is back, and public spending restraint is a bit looser, but are the measures in the Autumn Statement going to drive growth and help those most affected by austerity? Although … Continue reading “After the Autumn Statement, winter is coming?”