This week Mark Garnier, MP for Wyre Forest, joined a cross-party group of West Midlands MPs to meet with senior representatives from the new Local Economic Partnerships. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future for jobs, business and industry in the West Midlands.
Mark is co founder of the new All Party Parliamentary Group on the Economy of the West Midlands with Solihull MP, Lorely Burt and Dudley North MP, Ian Austin.
The group's primary purpose is to get MPs from all parties working together to raise issues affecting the regional economy as well as businesses and organisations in their constituencies. This is why the group invited representatives from the LEPs to Westminster to discuss the challenges facing the region's economy. They also discussed how these challenges could be met by working together to get the West Midlands the support it needs from Whitehall.
Following the meeting Mark said:
"We are here to help the LEPs flourish and prosper and, where necessary, to remind local government that it is business that will be driving the agenda forward. But whilst I welcome the establishing of Local Enterprise Partnerships, I do see that we need to be looking at the region as a whole. That is why I was so keen to set up this group with Ian and Lorely, to help establish cohesion between all the new LEPs so we can continue to look strategically at the region.
"What gives me great encouragement is the fact that the LEP boards are keen to engage with everyone and the fact that they came to Westminster bears testament to their resolve to make a difference. Our job now is to create a programme of events that continues to bring together the LEPs; to make sure we have a proper forum to take on board what the issues are affecting the LEPs; and to help formulate ideas and plans that will drive our region's economy forward and turn ideas into actions."
Mark and the APPG also have plans to invite business leaders, presidents of chambers of commerce and other organisations to Parliament to discuss similar issues.