As Mayor of the East Midlands, I was pleased to hear the Chancellor Rachel Reeves reference the £1bn Prologis investment into East Midlands Airport in her speech today (Wednesday 29 January). It is an important asset for the region, and the investment will create 2,000 jobs whilst ensuring that the airport can continue to support regional growth.
I am supportive of the Government’s focus on growth, and I want to position the East Midlands as fundamental to that growth: notably because of our clean energy potential and the high value sectors that that energy can support. The Chancellor has made it clear that her focus is patient and long-term, and I look forward to working with her to ensure that our greatest opportunities – which are pushing boundaries in net zero, transport, and fusion energy – can be brought to life in the East Midlands. Our developing plan for the ‘Trent Arc’ is a great example of this: an investment corridor which links the cities of Nottingham and Derby, which has the potential to deliver so many things that the government wants to achieve: tens of thousands of new jobs, a home for growth sectors, integrated transport, new homes, and – vitally – strong local leadership to ensure that those things can be delivered. We are ready.