Birmingham must continue its campaign for devolved power from Westminster despite the rejection of an elected city mayor, say business leaders.
While regretting the decision, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce said the ‘no’ vote should not be treated as a mandate for inertia but should be regarded as a new impetus to forge ahead with reforms for the good of the city.
President Michael Ward said: “This is a disappointing result for Birmingham. The no vote will unquestionably make it harder for the city to achieve devolution of powers and freedoms which are crucial to tackling the unemployment crisis and creating the best business environment in the city.
“We always knew it was going to be a difficult to sell the concept of an elected mayor in Birmingham and it would have been helpful if the government had spelled out the sort of powers it would give them.
“But the challenges facing the city do not change and we can’t blame the ‘no’ vote for inertia or inaction.
“We must focus on how we can assist the city’s new Leader to deliver a programme of new powers and freedoms and to provide the focus and leadership we need to succeed locally, nationally and globally.
“Our number one priority remains successfully negotiating the devolution of new powers on critical areas such strategic planning, transport and skills provision. The LEP-negotiated City Deal is our best means of achieving significant devolution and we will continue to support the LEP as it defines its strategy, new powers and sector focus.
“We look to the new Leader to continue Birmingham City Council’s support of the business leadership of the LEP and to deliver on the committed 100,000 new jobs by 2020.”
Mr Ward urged the Council to co-ordinate partners and delivery vehicles from across the private, public and third sector to the same vision : the Birmingham Plan.
He added: “We must also strengthen our voice and deliver on the long-promised one voice for Birmingham, working closely with partners across the region.
“Immediately, we must get the city’s business support agenda right with the Chamber at its heart, ensuring business-friendly planning; better local regulation; delivering the best promotion of the city and inward investment programme; helping young people develop their skills; and deliver one Greater Birmingham voice to Government aimed at getting the best deal for our great city. And the Chamber stands ready to play its role.”
