Chancellor urges businesses to invest in region

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has spoken of how the government wants to bring more investment and growth to the Midlands.

Reeves was speaking at a regional investment summit at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham on Tuesday, where she said she plans to scrap "needless form filling" in a bid to boost business growth.

The chancellor said there was "so much happening" in the West Midlands, and the government wanted to encourage businesses to look at Birmingham and areas from Dudley to Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent.

"I want growth and prosperity to come to all parts of the UK, including here in the West Midlands," she said.

Reeves added: "I want people to know that this is a government that is on their side. Wherever you live in the UK, we want you to be able to access good jobs paying decent wages and good public services as well."

"I want you to know that public services will be there for you."

John Cotton, Labour leader of Birmingham City Council, said it was the first time the regional summit had ever been held out of London.

"It's about jobs for Brummies, and new businesses being created here. It's about growth and opportunity," he told the BBC.

"We've got a city that is really on the up."

Cotton described Birmingham as the "youngest city in Europe", and said about 40% of the population was aged under 25.

"I want people to know that Birmingham is a great place, full of an incredibly talented, diverse population," he said.

West Midlands mayor, Richard Parker, said it had been a "fantastic" day and there had been announcements about plans for the region, including future investment in the Black Country, in Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry.

Parker spoke of how Knighthead Capital, led by Birmingham City FC co-owner Tom Wagner, had announced their design partner for its new 62,000 seat stadium.

"It just continues to demonstrate the commitment that Knighthead Capital has got into this region," he said.

"Their vision for the place and how what they're doing is going to transform one of the most deprived bits of the city through tens of thousands of new jobs and billions of pounds of investment."

Parker said the city would have a "fantastic new sports quarter", the building of which would create about 14,000 jobs.

"Many of those jobs are going to give young people from some of the most deprived bits of Birmingham fantastic opportunities," he said.

"Personally, it's a really, really proud moment for me and for this city and this region."

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