New Mayoral Authority to give Staffordshire a stronger voice.

Staffordshire’s Labour MPs (from left to right): Gareth Snell MP (Stoke-on-Trent Central), Dr Allison Gardner MP (Stoke-on-Trent South), Dave Robertson MP (Lichfield), Sarah Edwards MP (Tamworth), Jacob Collier MP (Burton and Uttoxeter), David Williams MP (Stoke-on-Trent North), Leigh Ingham MP (Stafford), Josh Newbury MP (Cannock Chase) and Adam Jogee MP (Newcastle-under-Lyme).

This week’s Budget brought some exciting news for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, with the announcement of a new Mayoral Strategic Authority. Devolution is an opportunity to bring decisions closer to the communities they affect, giving our area a stronger voice in shaping its future. Having campaigned for greater local decision-making and a stronger voice for our communities, it is great to see this progress being made.

For too long, decisions about our future have been made too far away.

Devolution means putting more power in the hands of people who understand our communities - so we can back local jobs and businesses, improve transport and skills, and bring investment to the places that need it.

For Tamworth and our villages, this presents an opportunity to push for investment in our transport links, skills and local economy, supporting businesses, creating good jobs and improving opportunities for local people.

Putting local communities at the heart of decisions

A Mayoral Strategic Authority will provide an opportunity to bring local leaders together to shape priorities for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. By working together, we can make the case for investment that reflects the needs of our communities and supports long-term economic growth.

It is important that the benefits of devolution are felt right across our area, including in Tamworth and our rural villages. Our communities deserve a strong voice in decisions about the transport connections, training opportunities and economic investment that can make a real difference to people's lives.

This is an important step towards making sure our area has a stronger voice and can shape its own future.

Working together to deliver for Tamworth and our villages

I look forward to working with local councils, businesses, colleges and community organisations to ensure the new authority delivers for people across Tamworth and our villages.

Devolution must be about more than changing where decisions are made. It must be about making sure those decisions deliver tangible benefits for local people, create opportunities for businesses and help our communities thrive.

I will continue to make the case for Tamworth and our villages so that our communities are heard and have the opportunity to benefit from the investment and opportunities that devolution can bring.