Latest news with #RichardParker
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
West Midlands Growth Plan backed by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has called a £17bn plan to kickstart a region's economy "a new West Midlands revolution".The screenwriter, producer and director is backing the West Midlands Growth Plan, launched in Wolverhampton on includes proposals to invest in towns, create 100,000 new jobs and provide more funds for public wrote a prologue for the plan and said: "This document represents the people of the West Midlands climbing up on our rooftops and shouting out the remarkable news about our region to the whole world." Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker set out the growth plan proposals, which he said would "improve the lives of everyone".Actions include £30m funding to transform skills and employment, investment in social housing, affordable and accessible transport, and transforming high streets in the region's cities and to attend the launch in person, Knight's words were read out by spoken word artist Bradley them, Knight drew parallels with the so-called Lunar Men, a Birmingham-based group of 18th Century intellectuals, inventors and scientists led by Erasmus Darwin he said "invented the modern world"."By the end of the nineteenth century we were known globally as 'the workshop of the world'," he said."So open a museum", some might say. Well, we actually do do museums (really good ones). But right now, we are busy doing other things, like starting another revolution," he said. 'All you need is here' The director and screenwriter said the people of the West Midlands had been quietly getting on with making things and described it as a "breeding ground" for creative content."We make diggers and lifters (JCB), we make paints and plastics and glues and pharmaceuticals, armoured cars and tanks and rockets (BAE), we make machines that make machines, batteries that make vehicles run, and even stuff that makes people happy (like two-tone music and Cadbury's chocolate)," he said."Birmingham was once known as the City of a Thousand Trades. Well now it's more than a thousand. Many times more."The sound you hear when you stop and listen on any street in any West Midlands town is the sound of industry - not the sound of people shouting from the roof tops."But guess what? That is all about to change." Knight pointed out Birmingham would be 49 minutes from central London once the Curzon Street HS2 rail link was completed, adding: "But, why commute when what you need is all here?"We have lots of smart people who are making the new West Midlands revolution happen."This region is once again the home of revolutionary new inventions, and the Lunar Men would be over the Moon." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
West Midlands Growth Plan aims to create 100,000 more jobs
Plans to create 100,000 new jobs and "put an extra £8,600 back in the pockets of working people" have been announced by mayor of the West Midlands. Richard Parker set out his proposals to boost the region's economy and raise living standards when he unveiled the West Midlands Growth Plan in Wolverhampton on Monday. He claimed the plan, which included "a series of major investments" for towns, cities and high streets, would lead to employment for tens of thousands of residents, improvements to public transport and 120,000 new homes. They are about "unlocking opportunity for everyone" and will "improve the lives of everyone", Parker added. They also include measures to grow the region's economy by more than £17bn as well as action to reduce poverty and deprivation, as well as make further progress towards net said the region had been "going backwards for the last 10 years", but "strategic interventions" would help it to move forward. Potential for growth He outlined five key industries where the region displayed "significant potential" for growth and the creation of job opportunities:Advanced engineering, including electric vehicles and battery technologyClean technology and energyHealth and medical technology Digital and the creative industriesProfessional and financial services The plan also pledged to invest £2.4bn to improve the region's transport network, as well as more support for business leaders, entrepreneurs and workers who contribute to the "everyday economy", such as teachers, bus drivers, shop workers and said the region was "full of untapped talent and potential", and the plan set out how to "deliver growth and prosperity" in the region. "I want to ensure we don't just create better jobs and better-paid jobs, but those jobs are embedded in and benefit all of our communities. "For too long in this region some of our most disadvantaged communities have been left behind," he mayor added that as the biggest region outside of London, when the Midlands succeeded, the whole country benefitted. The plan was unveiled as the region prepared to host a global investment summit in partnership with the government later this year. The summit will set out investment opportunities across the West Midlands and the UK to international business leaders and investors. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Crewe and Nantwich MP calls for West Coast Main Line improvements
An MP has called on the government to make improvements to the West Coast Main Line to "show people across the North West that this government care about their future".Connor Naismith, the Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich, spoke about issues on the line during a Westminster Hall debate and called for remodelling of Crewe also called for the government to "look carefully" at alternative proposals to HS2 put forward by the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West minister Lillian Greenwood said the government was "continuing to review options for enhancing rail connectivity in the Midlands and North". She added that more detail would be provided in the coming months. Naismith told a debate that the West Coast Main Line faced "critical problems" and said the issues were experienced by many attending the debate and their from across the political spectrum also spoke about issues they and their constituents had using the line including Labour's Jo Platt, Conservative Aphra Brandreth and Liberal Democrat Tim also spoke about capacity and said improvements would mean less congestion on the area's motorways."I again press the government to look carefully at the proposals developed by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, the Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, and Arup and other stakeholders, namely the Midlands-North West rail link," he also called for upgrades to Crewe Station, saying it had seen "little investment since the 1980s"."Failure to do anything is simply not an option, so I politely ask the minister, what will the government do to flesh out the options that they are considering?" he said."Let us improve the main line, let us rebuild Crewe station, and let us show people across the North West that this government care about their future." In response, Greenwood said the government knew there were "real and very understandable concerns" about capacity between Manchester and Birmingham following the cancellation of phase two of HS2."I also understand the frustration - and, frankly, the anger - that this decision created for leaders and communities across the Midlands and the North," she said she set out to the House of Commons in January that the government would not reverse that cancellation."I also noted that we were, and are, continuing to review options for enhancing rail connectivity in the Midlands and the North. That work continues and is now supported by the clarity that the spending review has provided," she said she was unable to provide more detail at this stage but said the government "hope to say more in the coming months, including on the future of Northern Powerhouse Rail", which is a planned link between Manchester and Liverpool. Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
New York Post
14-07-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Bizarre 12-sided object dating to Roman Empire baffles scientists: ‘A cosmic symbol'
There are many sides to this story. Scientists remain baffled over a mysterious 12-sided bronze object dating back to the Roman Empire — theorizing it could be everything from a candle holder to a 'cosmic symbol.' The first Roman dodecahedron was discovered in 1739 in the English Midlands. Since then,120 of the geometric enigmas have been unearthed from the former Northwestern Provinces of the Roman Empire with scientists noting that all of the specimens date back to the late second and fourth centuries, Live Science reported. Classical archaeologist Michael Guggenberger, who has published several studies on the objects, described them in a 2000 study as a pentagonal dodecahedron, which is created when 12 pentagons form surfaces of the hollow object, intersecting at 20 different corners. 4 A dodecahedron is shown at the National Civil War Centre in Newark, UK. 'Nobody knows for certain how the Romans used them,' wrote Smithsonian magazine. Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group Meanwhile, each pentagonal face has a hole of a varying size while each corner is studded with a ball, like an ancient model of a viral pathogen. The multifaceted anomalies range in size from a golf ball to the size of a grapefruit, as was the case with a dodecahedron that was exhumed in Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, during the summer of 2023, Smithsonian magazine reported. Richard Parker, secretary of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, told the outlet that the metal artifact was in 'excellent condition — considering it's been buried for 1,700 years — and complete with no damage.' Despite the treasure trove of evidence, scientists remain no closer to pinpointing the purpose of the mysterious object. 'Nobody knows for certain how the Romans used them,' wrote Smithsonian in 2023. 4 Scientists remain baffled over a mysterious 12-sided bronze object dating back to the Roman Empire — theorizing it could be everything from a candle holder to a 'cosmic symbol.' Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group 4 A dodecahedron that was unearthed during a two-week dig by a volunteer group in the village of Norton Disney. Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group Interestingly, the objects were discovered in countries ranging from Austria to France and Luxembourg –but not Italy — leading Guggenberger to postulate that they could be traced back to the Celtic tribes of the Roman Empire. The dodecahedrons have been found everywhere from men's and women's graves to trash piles, further complicating the search for an explanation as to their function. As the baubles aren't depicted in ancient art, there is no historical record of their origin or use. So far, researchers have floated 50 different theories regarding their purposes, suggesting that they could be weapons, range finders, candlestick holders or even dice. 4 The Norton Disney dodecahedron has been on display at different institutions since 2024. Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group However, many researchers believe that the objects' ornate design and their relatively pristine condition demonstrate that they were no run-of-the-mill implement. 'A huge amount of time, energy and skill was taken to create our dodecahedron, so it was not used for mundane purposes,' wrote the Norton Disney group. 'They are not of a standard size, so will not be measuring devices. They don't show signs of wear, so they are not a tool.' Guggenberger believed that the dodecahedron occupied a more symbolic role related to the theories of Greek philosophers such as Plato and Pythagoras. In Platonic-Pythagorean symbolism, four solid shapes corresponded with four elements — tetrahedrons with fire, octahedrons with air, icosahedrons with water, and hexahedrons with earth — while 'the dodecahedron served as an all-encompassing symbol representing the universe,' Guggenberger said. A breakthrough possibility emerged in 1966, when scientists discovered a dodecahedron next to a rod-shaped bone artifact in a woman's grave in Germany. That suggested the dodecahedron could have adorned it like a staff or symbolic scepter for use in Druidic rituals. Guggenberger theorized that, for now, the most likely interpretation of the dodecahedron is 'as a cosmic, all-encompassing symbol' with 'a function comparable to an amulet.'
BBC News
13-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
M54-M6 link road 'could generate more than £500m' for UK economy
A planned link road connecting the M6 and M54 could be worth more than half a billion pounds to the country's economy, West Midlands leaders government recently confirmed the £200m project to join the M6 at Laney Green, Staffordshire, to the M54 at Featherstone, near scheme had been in the pipeline for several years, with councillors and MPs saying it could benefit Wolverhampton, Shropshire, Staffordshire and the Black and Wrekin Council leader Lee Carter said the "landmark" project was expected to generate between £555m and £634m in economic benefits He said it could also cut journey times for commuters, remove about 19,000 drivers from nearby roads and improve access to jobs."This important link is about making life easier for working people, attracting new investment, and ensuring Telford remains a key player in the Midlands economy," the Labour leader said."Seeing this connection move forward is a significant and welcome step for our community."He told BBC Radio Shropshire that, while the construction phase would inconvenience people, it would "make life a lot easier" once it was finished. West Midlands mayor Richard Parker said it would provide faster journeys and improve connections for "thousands of people and businesses" in the Black Country and surrounding areas."This will transform the region, drive growth and opportunity in every community - and help us deliver better journeys for everyone," he Gavin Williamson, Conservative MP for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge, said it would make a "real difference" to communities."Residents in Featherstone, Hilton, and Shareshill have had to deal with increased congestion in their villages and difficulties with access," he added. While he also welcomed the news, the Wrekin's Tory MP Mark Pritchard was concerned it might encourage development on east Shropshire's green space."It cannot mean a new road comes at any cost to local villages and communities," he told BBC Radio Shropshire."The downside potentially is this creeping urbanisation – light industrialisation – of the east of our county."The Conservative representative said Shropshire was a "growing county" but it needed to grow in a way so as to protect its green spaces. The link road was announced by the Department for Transport following a £92bn settlement from the government's Spending proposed scheme would help relieve congestion on the A460, A449, and A5, ministers said."These vital investments are long overdue, will transform local communities and improve living standards across the country," said Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
