A powerful guiding coalition led by business and local authorities, with real determination to change things for the better is crucial if the new Local Enterprise Partnerships are to prosper and succeed in creating a stronger West Midlands economy.
This was the central message shared by Business Voice West Midlands, West Midlands Councils and Advantage West Midlands at Monday’s Local Enterprise Partnership Conference at Aston Business School.
The conference was organised to reinforce to all partners, including business and politicians, the scale of the challenge and the need for everyone to work together quickly to meet the 6th September deadline for proposals.
The other key messages were the need to set aside rivalries, truly work together as never before, lobby government hard for the West Midlands to be treated as a special case, recognise and seize the opportunity presented by this change and to develop a genuine collective ‘West Midlands’ voice when talking to Whitehall.
John Rider, Regional Chair of the Institute of Directors, and speaking for BVWM said:
“The issues are too important to let go this opportunity. There is nothing like a crisis to make people work together. We’re not going to get anywhere if we don’t. Business and political rivalries need to be put to one side. We’ve got to stick together like never before. Once we get a decision we’ve got to stick with it and go hell for leather.
“We’ve got a lot of talented people, lots of solid and experienced business people; we can make a difference. We owe it to the next generation to do something about these problems.
“At the same time, you can’t say local then centralise everything. We need to look again at these Government decisions.”
James Watkins, Executive Director of Business Voice West Midlands, said:
“We are committed to helping to reduce the bottom line, together, and to making things work for profitability, for our employees and for our communities.”
Councillor Philip Atkins, Chair of the West Midlands Councils, said:
“Change means opportunity but there will be no free lunch, we’ll have to earn what we get so we need to focus. We’ll work across any geography and boundary and work with any body to make this happen.
“This is about all of us not ‘them’. We need strong partnerships with business in our local areas. And we need to keep AWM’s investments and assets local for local developments and local opportunities. I’m sure we won’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
“The prize is medium and long term sustainable economic growth for the West Midlands.
“We need to be bold and innovative and show leadership. Business needs to step forward and say what it wants rather than ‘us’ second guessing.
“We have to show that lead, business and local authorities, at whatever level – that powerful guiding coalition. We need to avoid fragmentation – to come to agreements – and quickly.”
Sir Roy McNulty, Chair of Advantage West Midlands, said:
“We need to figure out how to make LEPs the centre of a powerful guiding coalition with all the players pointing in the same direction at the same priorities and moving forward with a good level of co-operation. And we need to do this quickly.
“We need to heed concerns expressed by businesses that what is crucial to them is clarity on where support is available and who is doing what.
“We need to make the best use of AWM’s assets, and make sure that AWM’s experience and expertise are not cast to the four winds.
“My personal view is that some form of two-tier structure will work best but it will be up to Business Voice West Midlands and the West Midlands Councils to decide on how the different views of LEP structures should be harmonised.
“For AWM’s part, we want to ensure the replacement structures are at least as good as what came before. We are happy to help all of our partners to develop effective proposals. We will do whatever we can to get the right outcome and best structures for the West Midlands.
“It is the positive determination to change things for the better that is crucial if we are to succeed.”