Labour’s Plan to Put “The Right Powers in the Right Places”

In December 2022, the Labour Party published a new report which promised to decentralise political power in the UK by putting “the right powers in the right places”. Dr Charlotte Hoole and Dr Matt Lyons evaluate how Labour’s proposals differ from the current system and what it could mean for the West Midlands. In December … Continue reading “Labour’s Plan to Put “The Right Powers in the Right Places””

The Case for a Just Devolution

Liam O’Farrell discusses the idea of ‘Just Devolution’, whereby devolution is driven not by demands to stimulate growth but to create a more just society. Find out more about the Just City Project. Devolution is currently front and centre in British politics. There have been comparisons of the relative performance of the devolved governments in … Continue reading “The Case for a Just Devolution”

Levelling Up: Lessons From Four Global City-Regions

Dr Abigail Taylor discusses a new report led by City-REDI that identifies lessons for levelling up from the experiences of four international city-regions trying to address regional inequalities. New Research Today new research conducted by City-REDI with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is being launched. The research finds policies designed to … Continue reading “Levelling Up: Lessons From Four Global City-Regions”

Has COVID-19 Changed the Terrain of Engagement?

Liam O’Farrell considers the impact of Covid-19 on civic engagement: Will the pandemic make authorities more interested in digital public consultation? This blog is based on a report called “States of participation: International Best Practice in Civic Engagement“. Given that Covid-19 has only recently become part of our lives, there has not yet been a … Continue reading “Has COVID-19 Changed the Terrain of Engagement?”

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”

How Is Brexit Going to Be Affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak?

Professor Raquel Ortega-Argilés looks into the effects COVID-19 will have on Brexit negotiations and the consequences for local regions as well as the United Kingdom as a whole. Since the UK officially left the European Union on 31 January 2020 much has changed. Brexit has gone out of the political focus as both the UK and … Continue reading “How Is Brexit Going to Be Affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak?”

COVID-19 and the Impact on Crime in the West Midlands

In this blog, Dr Sara Hassan (WM REDI) and Emerzon Somera (West Midlands Combined Authority) look into how crime statistics have changed since lockdown began, and some of the factors that have influenced these changes. In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, many speculated changes in crime. These statistics show the impact of COVID-19 on … Continue reading “COVID-19 and the Impact on Crime in the West Midlands”

The Need for Greater Devolution in England to Respond to COVID-19

Welcome to REDI-Updates, a bi-annual publication which will get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. West Midlands REDI staff and guest contributors will discuss various topics, with this first publication focusing on how inclusive growth can be a tool to tackle regional imbalances across the UK. In this article, Dr Charlotte Hoole … Continue reading “The Need for Greater Devolution in England to Respond to COVID-19”

Optimising Entrepreneurial Development Processes for Smart Specialisation in the European Union

Optimizing entrepreneurial development process for smart specialization in the European Union by Laszlo Szerb, Raquel Ortega-Argiles, Zoltan Acs and Eva Komlosi.  This paper published in Regional Science demonstrates how the Regional Entrepreneurship and Development Index (REDI) can be used to optimize local entrepreneurial discovery processes, in a manner which can support the construction of regional … Continue reading “Optimising Entrepreneurial Development Processes for Smart Specialisation in the European Union”

Resilience and Inclusive Growth: Two Faces of the Same Dice?

Welcome to REDI-Updates. REDI-Updates is a bi-annual publication which will get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. WM REDI staff and guest contributors will discuss various topics, with this first publication focusing on how inclusive growth can be a tool to tackle regional imbalances across the UK.  In this article, Dr Anastasios … Continue reading “Resilience and Inclusive Growth: Two Faces of the Same Dice?”