The Brexit vote has left many in the region facing uncertainty and the prospect – if the warnings are true – of an .
While Scotland, Wales and even Cornwall have been strident about their demands for their own regions post-Brexit, there has been barely a squeak from the West Midlands.
So here are ten points our local leaders might wish to put on their list of demands for the next government as they untangle the country from EU membership...
1) The like-for-like replacement of EU funding to the region
The councils, local enterprise partnerships and other agencies receive hundreds of millions of pounds of funding from EU.
The British Government is, of course, going to be quids in after quitting, at least that’s what we’re told, so how about the new leadership campaigners guarantee as a minimum that the regions do not lose out.
2) No tariffs for Jaguar or motor industry exporters
Jaguar Land Rover has been the region’s success story, underpinning most of the recent growth in the Midlands Engine.
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It is doubtful, having committed major investment recently at i54, Castle Bromwich and its other factories, that the company will pull out completely.
But there is a strong chance further investment and growth will be stifled or cut off if it becomes more difficult to trade with Europe. The Government needs to negotiate the free trade deal promised by Brexit, or else cover or mitigate the costs of any tariffs raised by Europe.
3) Back Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games bid
If Britain is to look beyond Europe for its future then the Commonwealth Games is an excellent forum in which to refresh those historic relationships. Birmingham is ideally placed to host the 2026 Games with facilities and enthusiasm.
The city also has many cultural and family ties to the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, Australia, Africa and Canada – the places we need to work with in the post-Brexit world.
4) Stop any drain of industry or business
It has barely started work on its Birmingham offices, but HSBC Bank announced within hours of the referendum result that it was shipping 1,000 Euro-related jobs from London to Paris.
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If there are any signs of jitters among the banks, or any other major employer as a result of Brexit, the next Business Secretary needs to step in with offers of help before they pack up and go.
The council has already borrowed against future business growth under the enterprise zone scheme – any economic slump should not impact on council funding or services.
5) Greater devolution for cities and city regions
If there is going to be a Brexit-induced recession, it should allow cities the freedom to work their own way out of difficulties. It has been predicted that the property market may slow while demand for housing remains high.
The elected Greater Birmingham metro mayor, who will be handed a significant housing investment fund, should be able to spend it on council housing as well as part-rent part-sale properties.
Watch below: How did your area vote in EU referendum
6) Hard-working families should not pay the price
If the economy grows as Brexiters optimistically suggested, good. But it has been widely assumed that there will be a downturn and those at the bottom of the income scale will end up paying any price of Brexit with their jobs.
The Government needs to ensure the right support is in place, either via top-up benefits or investment in support services to ensure they do not suffer.
7) HS2 investment
Hopefully, for the sake of Birmingham’s future economic growth we are . Much of what the city has planned over the next ten years is linked to this – now nervous investors eyeing up sites at Curzon Street and Smithfield are very keen for it to go ahead.
The other rail lines are also packed to the rafters so the extra capacity is desperately needed. The new government must stay committed to this project, not only for Birmingham but the other core cities on the route.
8) More for the NHS and social care
The Vote Leave campaign may have used careful wording to avoid an all-out claim that an extra £350 million per week could be spent on the NHS. But the message on the side of the battle bus came over loud and clear to most that this would happen if they voted leave... and so they did.
The Government now has a mandate to increase in spending in that area. By my back-of-an-envelope estimate, health services in the West Midlands are due about £1.5 billion a year more.
9) West Midlands universities funding to be maintained
Our universities receive around £300 million a year – it’s not too much to ask from a government which is saving cash from European Union membership fees to also guarantee they will keep their funding.
Birmingham’s economic future lies in advanced manufacturing, life sciences and digitial industries – these need a steady stream of graduates and skilled apprentices to flourish. The universities are at the forefront of that supply.
10) Give transport authority power to run bus services
In giving the new metro mayor and combined authority greater freedom to regulate bus services, the Government failed to allow councils to run any themselves.
Instead, they must merely oversee franchising arrangements. Where the private sector fails to provide for citizens, the councils should be able to step in.
Watch below: City expert on Brexit