Labour’s West Midlands Mayor says the mess left behind by his Tory predecessor was a “shot of realism”.
Richard Parker beat Tory poster boy Andy Street in May’s local elections – a surprise result for many and the icing on a cake of bumper results for Labour that night. But writing for the Mirror he revealed how he was brought down to earth on day one in the job.
“The first thing I faced in office was being told that all the old promises of shiny new tram lines and train stations were delayed, over budget or were still awaiting funds, and we’d need hundreds of millions to prop up a failing bus network,” he wrote. “That was a shot of realism.”
Mr Parker, who will be the only metro mayor to deliver a keynote speech at next week’s Labour Party Conference, also said funding to fix Birmingham’s housing crisis was “yet to be spent, sitting in the coffers, tangled up in bureaucratic nonsense rather than building homes for people to live in. Complexity is undermining delivery.”
He wrote to Housing Secretary Angela Rayner last week, he said, asking for enough of the funds to be unlocked to bring 2,000 families out of temporary accommodation.
“Nothing big and shiny, just homes for young families,” he said.
In a column published on Mirror Online, Mr Parker wrote: “I want to provide free bus and tram travel that means young people can get to college or a new job. I want to invest in our young people creating thousands of training opportunities and apprenticeships. I want the funding to offer free school meals for those most in need in the region.
“This isn’t the populist politics of the last decade, it’s realism and pragmatism that means I’m going to leave this region in a much better place than where I found it. It’s not photo opportunities, shiny skyscrapers and wishful thinking.
“The rewards of these decisions will be life changing, not just for our young people, but for the future of everyone. I’ve no doubt that the Government feels the same that in tackling big challenges now we will deliver a much better future for everyone.”
Jam tomorrow isn’t the answer and there are no quick fixes
By Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands
This week the Government has grappled with the immediate challenges of leadership, and what happens when you have to make tough decisions. But it is absolutely right to be honest about the issues we face and make decisions that deliver now and into the future.
As Mayor, the first thing I faced in office was being told that all the old promises of shiny new tram lines and train stations were delayed, over budget or were still awaiting funds, and we’d need hundreds of millions to prop up a failing bus network. That was a shot of realism.
Many MPs and Ministers have felt a similar shot of realism in recent weeks. Though it should never have needed a change in Mayor, or Government, for these issues to find their way to the surface or to demand attention.
In the West Midlands, we have the youngest population in Europe. And in large parts, youth unemployment is twice the national average. We have a huge number of people who will never ‘pay into the system’, as people like to say.
That is a very real and very present challenge to our region and our country and it needs to be fixed. Jam tomorrow isn’t the answer and there are no quick fixes.
Difficult decisions must be made and by making those decisions now, we can rebuild the fabric of our society for the future.
The previous Government failed to deliver for the West Midlands. Much of the funding received for housing has yet to be spent, sitting in the coffers, tangled up in bureaucratic nonsense rather than building homes for people to live in. Complexity is undermining delivery.
Two weeks ago I wrote to Angela Rayner to ask for unspent housing funds to be unlocked to bring 2,000 families out of temporary accommodation – giving them a safe and secure place to live. Nothing big and shiny, just homes for young families.
We can be optimistic about a much brighter future, and I’m proud of the transformative agenda that we’ve set out. I look forward with an overwhelming sense of excitement about the change we can make. I want the West Midlands to be the best place to live, work and do business.
I need to make sure our young people, the future of our region, have the best start to life – access to the practical things like a home, a job and public transport they can rely on.
That’s why I have kickstarted a process for bringing buses under greater public control, freeing up funds for social homes and securing investment that will deliver 30,000 more jobs.
But that’s just the start. I want the government to back our young people and help me go further.
I want to provide free bus and tram travel that means young people can get to college or a new job. I want to invest in our young people creating thousands of training opportunities and apprenticeships. I want the funding to offer free school meals for those most in need in the region.
This isn’t the populist politics of the last decade, it’s realism and pragmatism that means I’m going to leave this region in a much better place than where I found it. It’s not photo opportunities, shiny skyscrapers and wishful thinking.
The rewards of these decisions will be life changing, not just for our young people, but for the future of everyone. I’ve no doubt that the Government feels the same that in tackling big challenges now we will deliver a much better future for everyone.