I WAS disappointed to see Andy Street lose the West Midlands mayor election, especially by such a narrow margin.

I believe he had done an excellent job and he had been supportive of Stourbridge in its regeneration plans and those of Lye too, plus my campaign for a Stourbridge Dasher rail service to Brierley Hill.

I congratulate the new mayor on his win. This is how our democracy works and I look forward to meeting with him and his team where I will be looking to secure the same commitment for Stourbridge and its future as under Andy’s watch.

Dudley Council is now under no overall control following the election. There was a clean sweep of Conservative councillors returned in Stourbridge except for Dave Borley who stood in Lye and Stourbridge North. He is a hard-working councillor and I hope he will continue to play a huge part in his community where he is well-known and much liked.

Local elections should be about local issues but often the national picture clouds the agenda. I think this happened on May 2 even though the situation has changed as I believe the country is turning a corner economically after the challenges of Covid and the war in Ukraine.

Inflation is down, unemployment remains low and the Rwanda Bill is now law - meaning illegal migration can be tackled more effectively. Legal migration is falling too.

Other countries believe in UK PLC and want to invest in our economy. Latest figures found we are the third most popular destination on the planet for start-up investment – behind only the much larger US and China but ahead of all other G20 nations.

The UK remains far and away Europe’s number one destination for venture capital, attracting 70 per cent more investment than Germany and more than France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands received all put together!

Venture capital might sound a bit opaque but that means investment in cutting-edge sectors like quantum computing, semiconductors, energy, AI, life sciences and fintech – all areas we need to develop if we are to continue to compete globally. This is a boost to the country and to the region too.

On a personal note, my father is back in hospital where he is being well looked after by a dedicated NHS team. I would like to thank all those who have given me messages of support. Like many people of my age, it is a strange moment when the child goes from being cared for at an earlier age to then becoming the carer themselves. It is an honour to do so for my parents but one fraught with worry when I spend most of the week in Westminster. Family and friends have, of course, rallied around and we do our best.