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”
Author: Rebecca Riley
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?”
USE-IT!: Unlocking Social and Economic Innovation Together
Here @CityREDI in collaboration with CURS we are pleased to announce our successful bid for EU Urban Innovative Actions funding as part of a consortium led by Birmingham City Council. This is a great win for Birmingham and the University, being one of only 18 projects awarded approval out of over 350 applications. Other winners include Barcelona, … Continue reading “USE-IT!: Unlocking Social and Economic Innovation Together”
Bricks, Concrete and Steel – A look at Birmingham’s future commercial and residential property and local infrastructure development
City-REDI, in collaboration with KPMG, hosted their event ‘Bricks, Concrete and Steel – A look at Birmingham’s future commercial and residential property and local infrastructure development’ this month as part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s Festival of Social Sciences. The Dynamic Economic Impact Model (DEIM) is being developed by KPMG and City-REDI for the … Continue reading “Bricks, Concrete and Steel – A look at Birmingham’s future commercial and residential property and local infrastructure development”
Devolution with a small d – Reflections on our Conservative Party fringe event
Our event in Birmingham was a much more subdued affair than the previous one in Liverpool for the Labour party conference. Chaired again by Dr Adam Marshall (Acting Director General at the British Chamber of Commerce) he opened with a show of hands from the audience, asking if they supported the move to mayors and … Continue reading “Devolution with a small d – Reflections on our Conservative Party fringe event”
Question time for Labour’s prospective Metro Mayors at City REDI fringe event
City-REDI sponsored a very successful fringe event at #Lab16 this week, challenging prospective Metro Mayors to take questions from the floor on their vision, priorities and planned policies. Sion Simon MEP (West Midlands), Steve Rotherham MP (Liverpool) and Andy Burnham MP (Greater Manchester) spoke to a packed audience at one of the busiest fringe events … Continue reading “Question time for Labour’s prospective Metro Mayors at City REDI fringe event”