THE president of Black Country Chamber of Commerce has welcomed comments by Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, calling for a strong regional partnership between Birmingham and the Black Country.

“The relationship between Birmingham and the Black Country should be one of allies rather than rivals,” said Paul Bennett. “Sir Albert Bore is entirely right when he suggests that we need to consider the economic geography of the region.”

Mr Bennett added: “The people of the Black Country are fiercely proud of their identity and rightly so. Although they will never regard themselves as Brummies, their identities are built around local towns and communities rather than local authority boundaries.

“The local authority of Sandwell came into existence in 1974 but communities like West Bromwich, Tipton and Cradley Heath have been around for centuries. Politicians find it difficult to accept that local people have greater affinity with their towns and communities than they do political structures.

“Local politicians need to recognise that we elect them to focus upon our jobs not theirs. Change takes political courage but the future prosperity of the Black Country and wider region demands strong civic leadership right now and that requires a pragmatic evaluation of the Black Country in a global market and its relationship with Birmingham.

“We need to move the debate beyond local politics and bin collections and put it into a global context.”

Citing the fact that China has more than 100 cities with populations in excess of 1 million and its twentieth largest city China has a population approaching five million compared to a combined population of a little over a million across the entire four Black Country boroughs Mr Bennett added: “We need a reality check. There is no denying that some question the relevance of the Black Country on the global stage. Although we should constantly challenge those views, we cannot just ignore them.

“It’s hugely beneficial to the Black Country that we are right next door to Britain’s Second City. That status is hugely significant, particularly to inward investors. We can and should leverage off our proximity to Birmingham and work strategically with our neighbours and develop a more dynamic relationship.

“Birmingham is more of an opportunity than a threat to the Black Country.

“In areas such as transport infrastructure, cross-boundary co-operation is absolutely essential. The expansion of Birmingham Airport would bring huge benefit to the Black Country, yet it is not in the Black Country.”

The chief executives of Black Country Chamber of Commerce and Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group have recently issued a joint communication on local transport governance matters.

Mr Bennett concluded: “The Black Country Chamber has long championed the need for the local authorities of the Black Country to work more seamlessly.

“Such an outcome, combined with a more dynamic strategic relationship with Birmingham and other neighbours, would represent a major but necessary policy shift to deliver greater prosperity and investment.

“The debate should not be about a combined LEP, as political structures come and go, but about the functionality of an economic area and development of a compelling proposition, fit to compete globally.”