Green candidate pledges new industrial revolution
THE latest West Midlands mayoral candidate has promised a new “industrial revolution” with a green twist if he is elected next year.
Green Party candidate James Burn wants to increase investment in low carbon industries and manufacturing, one of the key areas of growth in the world economy.
He also wants to bridge the region’s skills gap, saying it is a scandal that one in seven people here have no qualifications compared to one in 12 nationally.
Elected as councillor for Chelmsley Wood in 2014, Cllr Burn is the opposition leader on Solihull Council, with a background in social work and child protection.
He said: “The other candidates are promoting inward investment which they say will trickle down. But this has not worked before and won’t this time.
“I want to see a regional economy where no-one is left behind. Many communities across the West Midlands have been left behind and current combined authority plans won’t change that.
“If elected, I will invest more in those places and connect people to good jobs, decent wages and chances to get on.”
Cllr Burn said he would focus investment in skills and transport towards deprived areas, such as in Sandwell and Wolverhampton – rather than the big city centre developments that already attract money.
“I would put in smaller businesses business,” he added.
“The problem with Chinese or foreign more and support for home-grown investment is it can easily pack up and go to Germany or somewhere else.
“Home-grown business is more resilient and provides more secure jobs.”
As for the role of mayor, the Green candidate wants to beef up the scrutiny function, saying an appointed committee meeting four times a year is not strong enough to hold the mayor or combined authority to account.
He is launching his campaign in London where the city-wide assembly keeps tabs on the mayor’s activities.
He said: “In London, there is a fulltime assembly of elected people to hold the mayor and the authority to account.
“In the West Midlands, our combined authority has already been making big decisions behind our backs with no-one to keep them honest.
“As mayor, I want to make sure ordinary people have control of their authority so it provides good jobs and decent homes for their families.”