Charlotte Hoole discusses the levelling up agenda, what it means for devolution, and what opportunities it presents for the West Midlands. This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2021. The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. It … Continue reading “Devolution and Levelling Up: Boon or Bane for the Region?”
Category: Government
Local Government and Its Captivity by National Electoral Interests
With the upcoming local elections in England, Dr Tasos Kitsos looks at the influence of distributive politics and the importance of local government to catalyse change where we live. With the local elections coming up in (some of) England, and our recent publication (with Dr Antonios Proestakis) on distributive politics in Greece, I wanted to … Continue reading “Local Government and Its Captivity by National Electoral Interests”
Budget Breakdown 2021 and the Key Points for the West Midlands
Mike Lewis, Senior Policy Officer at the West Midlands Combined Authority provides a breakdown of HMG’s Budget announcement 2021 and highlights some of the key points of interest to the West Midlands. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak presented HMG’s Budget 2021 to the House of Commons on 3 March 2021. The Chancellor outlined measures … Continue reading “Budget Breakdown 2021 and the Key Points for the West Midlands”
WM REDI Has Partnered With the Industrial Strategy Council to Conduct Research on How Devolution Can Best Support the Levelling-up Agenda
In this blog, Ben Brittain and Dr Abigail Taylor discuss a new WM REDI project with the Industrial Strategy Council investigating governance and institutional arrangements, focusing particularly on the relationship between governance structures, policy levers and inclusive growth outcomes. Local regions have been hard hit by the economic fallout of this pandemic. The extent of … Continue reading “WM REDI Has Partnered With the Industrial Strategy Council to Conduct Research on How Devolution Can Best Support the Levelling-up Agenda”
Good Work and the COVID-19 Crisis
In this blog, Professor Anne Green looks at the concept of ‘Good Work’, exploring the varying definitions, and its impact on both employers and employees and what they can both do to influence the situation. Context In 2019 national employment rates rose to historically high levels. In Great Britain, the employment rate for 16-64 year … Continue reading “Good Work and the COVID-19 Crisis”
The Complexity of Local Government in England: The West Midlands’ Rubik’s Cube
In our latest blog, Dr Charlotte Hoole unpicks the complex world of the local government systems and explains how the different tiers and authorities for each region inter-relate. Back in 2006, the then head of communications at the New Local Government Network was quoted in the Guardian as saying “the complexity of local government is … Continue reading “The Complexity of Local Government in England: The West Midlands’ Rubik’s Cube”
The Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Older Workers
Professor Anne Green looks at the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown on the employment prospects of different age groups, focusing particularly on older workers and the challenges they face should they get made redundant. Introduction Much of the policy response in the wake of Covid-19 has focused on the plight of young people. … Continue reading “The Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Older Workers”
West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 28th August 2020
WM REDI has been tasked with providing an up to date monitor of the current COVID-19 economic impacts, on a weekly basis. These reports will help regional partners to shape responses and interventions to boost the region’s resilience so that it can thrive going forward. Each week the focus of the report relates to research … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 28th August 2020”
The Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Women
Professor Anne Green looks at the impact COVID-19 is having on the lives of women in the West Midlands, especially those from BAME groups. Introduction This commentary draws in particular on two reports relating to the impact of Covid-19 on women and with a particular focus on the West Midlands. The first report from the … Continue reading “The Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Women”
Devolution and Local Recovery
Kevin Johnson, Managing Director of strategic communications firm Urban Communications, looks at the Government’s upcoming White Paper on Devolution. Will the government propose to increase powers for local authorities or continue a policy of delegation rather than devolution? The Government is set to publish a White Paper this Autumn on Devolution. As well as building … Continue reading “Devolution and Local Recovery”