Max Wilkinson

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. It is also a pleasure that someone else who is not from the Black Country, the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), has contributed to this debate. Liberal Democrats get slightly uneasy talking about the Black Country, as I believe we have not had a Liberal MP there for more than 100 years—and more’s the pity, I am sure hon. Members would agree. This year, communities across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton—I correctly identified the boundaries —celebrated Black Country Day, which is a proud and growing tradition that celebrates not only the people and culture of the region, but its central place in Britain’s past, present and future. The Black Country’s origins lie in the dark coal seams and iron foundries that, from the 16th century, powered our nation’s transformation into a global superpower. The Black Country was the engine room of the industrial revolution, where innovation and hard work went hand in hand. It was in Tipton that Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine was first put to practical use, draining mines and laying the groundwork for what became modern industry. The Black Country helped to build the ironwork for the Crystal Palace and forged the anchor for the Titanic. Its factories, furnaces and foundries not only built Britain, but exported British craftsmanship and engineering across the world. This influence goes beyond industry. The industrial impact on the land inspired J. R. R. Tolkien’s vision of middle earth in “The Lord of the Rings”. Following the war—not in “The Lord of the Rings”, but the second world war—Black Country musicians took inspiration from the loud industrial processes to create heavy metal. Led Zeppelin, Slade and Black Sabbath all have members who hail from the region. These are typical of the world-leading cultural products that Britain and the Black Country have created. They have long helped to spread our unique culture and values, which we have exported across the world. To ensure that the next generation of creative talent from the Black Country can succeed, we need to reverse the cuts to arts funding in schools. I am sure I will be forgiven for making a political comment in this debate, as others have: the previous Government downgraded the importance of creative subjects in education, and the Liberal Democrats would restore art subjects to the core of the curriculum, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to study music, drama and the visual arts. That means including arts in the English baccalaureate, providing funding for creative degrees and ensuring that high-quality apprenticeships are available in the creative industries. The Black Country can also be proud of its strong footballing heritage. If I may be forgiven, I will mention one of the matches I attended at Wolverhampton Wanderers. I am a Southampton fan, and we do not often win games I attend—and I have attended many—but on that occasion we won 6-0, despite being significantly the worst side on the pitch that day. No one in the stands could quite understand how it happened. The Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters showed the classic Black Country spirit by chanting Mick McCarthy’s name throughout the second half, even as their team went down 6-0. That certainly shows the region’s spirit. Two of the founding members of the Football League, West Bromwich Albion and Wolves, call the Black Country their home. It should be no surprise that the region has also produced footballing talent over the years. One of them, the Busby babe Duncan Edwards, grew up in Dudley and tragically died in the Munich air disaster. More recently, Jude Bellingham grew up in Stourbridge and played for its youth team—we all know about his meteoric rise since. I am told that the No. 9 derby between Halesowen and Stourbridge is one of the best attended non-league football matches in the country.