SPONSOR AT MIDLAND’S ECONOMIC SUMMIT

HUNDREDS of people were at the NEC near Birmingham for a major conference on the economy of the Midlands.

The event labelled as a summit was organised by Ninder Johal and the team at nachural with Let’s Sanify, one of the sponsors.

In an on-stage interview, Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said that whilst progress was being made in many areas, with the greening of transport a good example, the region was still under performing and has been through a very tough few years.

Mr Street said that a disproportionate share of the cake when it came to support for innovation, in particular was going to the southeast and that decisions about how money could be most effectively spent were best made locally.

Pat McFadden, a show treasury minister, who represents a Wolverhampton constituency, said that the biggest challenge facing a Labour government, if elected at the next general election, will be to get the economy moving.

He told the conference that there were big opportunities for ‘green’ jobs and no reason why the West Midlands should not be part of this.

After his presentation, Mr McFadden told Let’s Sanify that if the opportunity arises, he would be interested in visiting the factory in Tipton.

Lord ‘Richard’ Harrington of Watford, who has been doing some work for Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, said that the Government needed to up its game and that a more joined up approach is needed when it comes to the support offered to businesses wanting to trade overseas.

Our top phptograph shows Pat McFadden, shadow treasury minister, spaking out Labour’s plans for the economy if they come to power after the next general election an the one below has Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, being interviewed by Anne Davies from BBC Midlands Today in the East Midlands.