Former Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby has called on the Government to recognise the importance of wealth creators and inventors by “elevating their status nationally”.

Lord Whitby, who ran Europe’s biggest local authority from 2004 to 2012, is the new non-executive chairman of the Made in The Midlands support group for the region’s manufacturers.

Lord Whitby said the lobby group is playing a “crucial” role in helping the Government establish “a new manufacturing blueprint for the nation and re-balance the economy”.

In a speech to mark his appointment, he said: “The world is our oyster post-Brexit, with unprecedented opportunities for global trade. We believe in the Midlands and we believe in our manufacturing capacity, and it is essential that the UK recognises our importance; we should be seen as a major component in complementing the UK’s growth agenda. After all, we are the only region in the UK that has a trade surplus with China.

“As the new non-executive chairman of Made in the Midlands, I hope our voice will influence the outcome of a Government business strategy that can re-balance the UK’s business model.”

Lord Whitby said he would use his contacts with senior politicians such as new Business Secretary Greg Clark and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox to champion the region’s manufacturers.

“I will be taking members of Made in the Midlands to meet a range of ministers. The UK will need 2 million engineers in the next 10 years, and I see no reason why the Midlands cannot contribute a significant proportion of those people.

“If we are to attract the right calibre of people into engineering, it is important that we should hold them in the esteem they deserve. We have in the Midlands a formidable history of innovation, technology and production. We need more JLRs with the aspiration to be a global player; it is all about skills, technology and aptitude.”