2021 Manifesto FINAL DRAFT - Flipbook - Page 31
Economy
I WILL:
• Within my first 20 days appoint a deputy mayor charged with
championing community wealth building and monitoring the
creation of a West Midlands strategy for such growth.
• Commission a comprehensive assessment of deprivation
across the area, and a clear action plan to address it with
measures that will include measuring the distribution of growth.
• Ensure TfWM and the wider WMCA buys local wherever
possible, local authority pension funds are redirected to local
investments and that support is made available to establish
more community banks.
• Encourage anchor institutions such as hospitals, schools and
universities to recruit from lower income areas, pay the living
wage and provide career progression opportunities for staff.
• Develop our local supply chains with focus on SMEs;
employee-owned businesses; social enterprises, cooperatives
and community businesses.
• Ensure that the WMCA and its constituent members put land
and property to best use for society, so that the financial and
social gain is harnessed by our local communities.
• Push the WMCA to use investment monies to support
businesses (including social enterprises) and co-ops in starting
up, surviving and thriving, especially in the least well-off areas
of the region.