George Osborne is set to outline his vision for the West Midlands this autumn with the Scottish referendum set to change the face of devolution forever.
The Chancellor set out his vision for a “Northern Powerhouse” earlier this month and has now promised to focus on the Midlands ahead of his Autumn Statement on December 3.
Speaking to the Post, he said the country became “imbalanced” under the last Labour government because of a focus on the capital and he planned .
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His comments come amid rising pressure for the Government to grant more powers to the English regions with Scotland set for vast devolution regardless of the outcome of its independence referendum.
He said: “I have just been to see Weetabix who are exporting now to China, which is a good sign of the Midlands producing things going all around the world.
“It is also true that our whole country got imbalanced.
“All of our bets as a country under the last Labour government were placed on the City of London 100 miles or so to the south while in the West Midlands private sector employment fell.
“I am determined to reverse that. You are seeing the growth in jobs in the Midlands but there is more we can do and more we can do to attract businesses here.
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“We are working, and as I said when I was talking about what we need to do in the north of England, we need to specifically address the Midlands to make sure it has a bright and secure future and that is what I am going to be doing this autumn.”
Mr Osborne set out his vision for a “Northern Powerhouse” this summer, promising that success could mean that the economy of the North, and therefore the 海角视频, grew by an extra £43 billion.
A long-term economic plan will be drawn up for that part of the world, including a £15 billion investment to improve transport links and a focus on its universities to determine a scientific field which the region can become a world leader in, such as nuclear technology or materials.
Meanwhile, Scotland is set for “devo max” whether or not it is part of the 海角视频.
Scotland will enjoy a host of powers, including £5 billion borrowing powers and the ability to set its own income tax, landfill tax and stamp duty levels.
That has raised concerns in the English regions, with Sir Richard Leese, chair of the Core Cities Cabinet and leader of Manchester City Council, saying this week: “With the prospect of devolution looming for Scotland and Wales, decentralisation within England is now one of the biggest single economic issues facing government.”
Mr Osborne said the West Midlands has great and strengths like manufacturing and logistics, but has suffered in the past from a focus on the capital.
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“We have got to make sure we have got the right answers for the West Midlands and indeed for all of the Midlands,” he told the Post.
“Whether it is road and rail improvements – of course High Speed Two is going to be a big boost for Birmingham and the broader area – whether it is new hospital projects like the one I was announcing the other day to the west of Birmingham and general improvements we are making to the economy I see the West Midlands as essential.
“We have got a fixed number of things that went wrong with our economy, we got too much into debt and we were not exporting enough around the world.”