PJ Ellis (00:37)

We are absolutely delighted to be joined by the mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker. Just announced a fantastic and exciting plan for this region. We're talking more jobs, more houses, good jobs, apparently, which no doubt we'll unpack one way or another in this conversation. Hello, Richard.

Richard Parker (00:54)

more fun, more fun,

hi, and more fun.

PJ Ellis (00:57)

and more fun. look forward to it. And you know what? In fact, to be fair, fun, I really did like the good jobs piece and those sectors that we're looking to grow. And I did smile looking at them because I thought, you know what, there's a lot of fun to be had in those sectors But Richard, I've had the pleasure of having a couple of one-to-ones with you. So I know who Richard Parker is all about. And without wanting to define you as just being the mayor of the West Midlands, who is Richard Parker?

Andy Dawson (00:58)

That's a good one.

Richard Parker (01:23)

No, so good question. Actually, until I got into this, I didn't ask myself too much about that. Most of us just get on with our life, don't we? this that bit about me, what I bring to the role is really important. Not just to me, but to the people. So look, I grew up in a very white working class bit of Bristol. Left school, some decent O levels. I don't think...

anyone in my year at School went to uni. I left when I was 16. I worked with someone who thankfully spotted some talent in me through working really closely with them. And they sat down one day and said, I need to go to university. They took me to an FE college in North Bristol. I did A levels, did an economics degree, joined PWC. I moved to the West Midlands in the mid 80s.

I became an accountant. I didn't really want to be an accountant, but I just thought if I get a professional qualification, I'll have choices. Yeah, and where I came from, people didn't have choices. And that served me well. mean, studying was frankly tough because I wasn't that interested in, the ordinances and the the detail of accounting. I'll say a bit about that.

because accounting is a profession when you're trying your exams is always looking back on stuff. I was more, always more interested in the future than I was in, in auditing statements. But that grounding and that training at PWC was invaluable. I became a partner at PWC. was there for 27 years, had a brilliant career there, traveled the world, advising businesses and governments across the UK and globally. And then I think,

probably three years ago now, through the work I'd done, the relationships I'd built at PWC with senior politicians nationally and regionally, I was asked to attend some conversations about going into politics. because the work I'd done in the West Midlands during my career, the fact that I was one of the key advisors in setting up the combined authority, some people suggested that I'd be a good candidate.

In some ways it feels like bit of full circle, but that's me in a nutshell. I will probably talk about some of these things that inspire me and motivated me, but probably the background that I had, the good fortune I've had since, the inequality of opportunity and access to opportunity that was a key part of my childhood. And of course I observed it and I lived it and experienced it, but that drives my...

ambitions for this region, for the people in this region. And that's why, as I'm sure we'll touch on, beyond the big ambitions for growth and prosperity, I want to ensure that our people in this region, particularly our young people, get the very best opportunity to make the most of their lives.

Andy Dawson (04:04)

Fantastic. Well, great summary. So let's get on with it then. So we talk a lot about opportunity ⁓ in this podcast, Richard, and I guess as mayor, you've got the front row seat to the opportunities and challenges across the region. What's most exciting for you right now?

Richard Parker (04:20)

So ⁓ I think PJ has just talked about the growth plan and the growth plan, suppose, embodies everything I want to achieve for this region. But what we sought to do in addition to the growth plan, which is in some ways quite an academic document that is interested business leaders and folks that follow policy and politics, civil servants and perhaps some academics, accompanying that.

growth plan was a document I put forward, put together with my team here that sets out how I want that plan to relate to and to have relevance to everyone that lives here. And that's really, really important to me. And that sets out our ambitions about jobs and new opportunities for people here and what we're going to do to attract the investment here that will give those opportunities. And key part of my agenda is ensuring that

when we deliver that prosperity and those opportunities, they benefit and are embedded in all of our communities. And that's really important to me. The West Midlands is a big place. And we cannot have the prosperity of this region driven by one street in the centre of Birmingham, Colmore Row. has to benefit all of us. And if we don't do that, the values that I have, and I think most people in this region, this country have,

If we don't have that and don't deliver it, the values we have and our democracy could well rupture in the next four five years. And that concerns me. And I've got this dual challenge then of attracting that investment that will create higher paid jobs and hard skilled jobs here, but ensuring those folks and those bits of the region that feel overlooked and left behind and probably have done since we deindustrialized almost 40, 50 years ago, that they see a mayor.

PJ Ellis (05:36)

Thanks.

Richard Parker (05:59)

who speaks for them, that represents them and is driving an economic gender that will benefit them. So that's the broader context. Within that, there many things. Every day I come to work excites me. I mean that in very, very genuine way. There is so much variety in this job. In fact, I'm just going to show you something. My team from a birthday in May bought me this plaque that sits on my desk. And I don't know if anyone can read it, but it says,

secretary of state for everything and that's what this job is about in some ways. But underneath it is such a rich variety of what we do and you know as Mayor that every time you say something, every meeting you attend, every decision you make, every action you take is having an impact and you hope a benefit.

Andy Dawson (06:28)

Okay.

PJ Ellis (06:30)

Thank

Richard Parker (06:43)

In terms of what excites me, beyond the growth plan and bringing that into practice, I'll keep this fairly short, but we've obviously got a government investment summit here in October, which will be attracting some global leaders in the sectors that are priority for us. That's a really important event for promoting this region. It's a great place to live, grow up and invest. That's really important event going forward. Building on the growth plan.

And that event is here because of the trust and relationship we've built with government and the respect they have for this place in terms of an engine of growth and opportunity. Beyond that, look, we've got some fantastic projects and opportunities across the region. I'm working with a major defence contractor that I hope will win a very big contract with the MOD that in the black country in the borough that we're hoping they will succeed, you know, could create, you know,

several hundred jobs that will pay twice the regional average, which will be a big difference for that place. In Coventry, we're working on Green Power Park, an investment zone that's targeting advanced manufacturing investment, really exciting opportunity. And of course here in Birmingham, you know, we've got the sports quarter and the opportunity that will provide very, very exciting and

We will be connecting the Knowledge Quarter in central Birmingham, Digbeth and the Sports Quarter with the Metro. But working with Tom Wagner's team, and look, the Sports Quarter ain't about a new football stadium. It's about an investment, creating a new investment or proposition that will create thousands of new jobs for people in one of the deprived bits of the city. But connecting with a Digbeth is really important. What Stephen Knight's doing at

Digbeth is really, really exciting. And not just because of the profile that Stephen's got. And as you know, he wrote a brilliant introduction to my growth plan. And that ⁓ is really, really important. And Stephen was given the freedom to write what he felt and what he wanted to write about. And I think it's really powerful forward to the growth plan. But what Stephen's doing there is really exciting.

We're not just going to attract new directors here and filming here, but we're going to create thousands of new jobs for creatives and others across the region. a lot of this job is about storytelling. And when you go out to these places and you understand what's going on, I went on to Peaky Blinders film set. There were several hundred people there working that day. And I met two of the young makeup artists that been in since 3 a.m. in the morning.

putting 1940s makeup on the actors, a level of precision that I hadn't understood yet from their work in terms of the research involved. It's got to sit on people's faces, the actors faces for eight to 10 hours a day. But the opportunities that that work is giving those young people working on Netflix productions, not just here, but globally. And in fact, it was fantastic when I spoke to one of those young makeup artists that went to local, both of them to local colleges.

PJ Ellis (09:13)

Mm.

Yeah.

Richard Parker (09:41)

I said I'd love for you to come around the region because I think you'd inspire young people. They said we'd love to, Richard, but we're too busy for the next 15 months, which is actually the best answer in some ways, isn't it?

Andy Dawson (09:49)

Yeah. Yeah.

PJ Ellis (09:50)

Yeah,

man. I love that. I mean, it's so exciting. My kids have fell into that energy that creative space brings to everyday life really for my kids at the moment. so, for me as a parent to see and to hear what you've just said to me there is so exciting to be living in Birmingham at this time. Richard, we talk about you creating all these jobs and the future of Birmingham is,

Andy Dawson (09:51)

Yeah. Yeah.

PJ Ellis (10:10)

Hopefully really exciting. This podcast is sometimes often about those skills that you can't really Google, those sort of non-technical skills. What do you think those look like within the future workforce within this region?

Richard Parker (10:24)

You know, it's the most relevant and opposite question, think, PJ, because when I talk to employers, there's almost there's this knowledge and belief that we can teach the kids the technical skills. Yeah, we do have a problem that too many young people in this region leave school without the qualifications to get on in life at the next possible opportunity. That is something we have to address. But the other issue for employers is.

we can teach them the technical skills. Indeed, I've been into a couple of AI companies this week that have taken on people from very, different backgrounds across the region with decent qualifications. They've not been to university and they are, getting them engaged with, building AI models. It's fantastic. But the other stuff that is really, really important and I'm not sure

I will emphasise the importance of being inquisitive, wanting to work as part of a team, understanding what that requires in terms of behaviours, how you engage with people, the need to ⁓ want to learn, the understanding that the best way to learn is actually by talking to people, engaging with them, never waste a conversation.

we can talk about the importance of resilience. I don't think you can teach resilience, resilience, you know, come from within yourself. And it's based on the experience you've had and the exposures you've had and the life you've lived. But it is, I think, important that when young people know that when they go into a work environment, you need to be resilient. Not every day is going to be a good day. there's, there are are times when it's tough when

you might have had a difficult conversation with someone. You might have had a difficult experience. Someone might not have treated you with the respect and the care and attention that you had needed. But you need the understanding that, I wouldn't say just pull your socks off and get on with it, but you need to understand that people are complicated. The business environment is quite tough at times. And that resilience is being able to turn the page, get on and not be distracted by or.

put off by or let those experiences undermine your self-belief and your confidence and your self-esteem.

Andy Dawson (12:29)

Yeah. I mean, you will meet lots and lots of CEOs and business leaders from across the whole region. What's your kind of message both for them and for young people coming into work? How can we get the best out of each other?

Richard Parker (12:44)

So it's a really, I've been, and I'll say this very genuinely, really inspired by the business people that I've met here and their belief in nurturing and developing talent. Yep. Now I might, the caveat is I might just go to the best or those, but they are really, really keen when I go there and it's not showing off, but there's not a business I go to that doesn't want to introduce me to their young people. And,

and they are truly inspiring. And I mean that in a very, very genuine way. And that includes people that I've met who, I was in a centre earlier this week, some young women that are on apprenticeship programs, degree apprenticeship programs. In one case, someone's moved at 19 from another part of the country and loves this place, by the way, which is fantastic. But those young people, truly inspiring to

when I've gone to into the black country, into rolling mills and forging companies of meeting young people that haven't necessarily left school with the best qualifications, a school might not be the right environment for them. But seeing young people applying quite complex geometry to solving problems in a workshop when it's wouldn't have any interest in math. So I've seen

What we need to do though is, and this is part of my responsibility and that's what my youth plan does, is recognise that we have to do more to reach some of those harder to reach young people. Because if you haven't got mentors around you, haven't you got people that are exemplars or role models, it's very, very hard. You don't discover that yourself. So that is something we've got to do. But I see enormous talent in young people and...

I was inspired by a conversation I had in China when I was there on a trade mission. I went to an event one evening in Shenzhen, which was hosted by the government or the foreign office. And there were quite a number of Chinese tech billionaires that night, under 30. And I met a young woman who was there who came from Northern China, a very difficult, deprived background, parents worked on the land. And she's now one of those.

very successful business people one generation later. ⁓ And that's because of the education she had access to and the support she had. So I know that talent is there, it's locked in everyone. We need to do more. And that's what I'm doing is doing more to reach out to those people. So the young people are there for businesses. The ones I've met, I've been really, really impressed with.

Now, what I want to do is and the message I take to businesses is please

be more ambitious. Please when you go out to recruit people, be more open-minded. We can help you identify the talent, but your role really is to help nurture it in the best way you can. And that's why I'm pleased, we're not so pleased when I launched this youth plan, was about creating 20,000 new opportunities for young people. We're more than halfway there now. That is, and it's not...

and it's businesses that are opening up those opportunities. What businesses tell me is one of the things holding them back and what's holding the region back is the skills that some of our young people have. What we can do here is help those young people develop those skills that those businesses need, but also recognising that, and I was talking to Euan Blair, who's the ex Prime Minister's son who's got a skills and training business that...

Euan Blair's view, is the best way to help our people is get them into work and support them when they're there. Because the way we let down lots of young people is we take them on this training journey at college or whatever, and then at the end of it, there's not a job there, or the job they're prepared for. So my role working with others is to make sure that ecosystem works as tightly and as effectively as possible.

PJ Ellis (16:22)

you

I mean, it's bang on that is. My wife is desperate, if that's the right word, to get our 14-year-old boy into work as soon as he can because it brings so many sort of learns, doesn't it, around comms, problem solving, all that. That youth plan sounds amazing. Bravo to that. It's a pretty diverse region of ours, isn't it? You talk about these opportunities and also those barriers that we need to overcome, especially with this youth movement that want the work.

Obviously, you're doing some great stuff here. Just by shining light on those businesses that I've never heard of, How are we doing that, Richard? What's the responsibility we have of people, parents, leaders, wherever it might be, that live in this region to make sure these kids of the future realise where these opportunities lie? How do we actually do that? How can we support you?

Richard Parker (17:17)

Well, PJ I think you said, look, not all of us, but many of us are parents and our kids aren't us. They've got different ambitions, They apply their minds a different way to different things. So deeply respectful of that issue. And all of us want young people to succeed for so many different reasons. We want our own kids to succeed and I want other children to succeed.

I can't do too much with the resources I've got to improve the prospects of those kids that go to Russell Group universities and they are important to this region and I want to create jobs that keep them here. But the best way can use the resources I've got is helping those that with a bit of a helping hand, a bit of pastoral support, often the access to a training, a skill or that opportunity can transform their lives and I've seen it.

We've got a path to apprenticeship programme that's helping kids who are 19 that not being in education, employment or training for two or three years. The path to apprenticeship programme gives them work experience, a guaranteed interview and the first two cohorts have all got apprenticeships and that is changing their lives. I tell you what's changing their lives because I spoke to many of the first cohort and they've been a carer for a sibling or a parent when they've been at school. If you're going through that experience.

You don't cut an education system with, you know, a stars in 14 subjects. So that's important. But I would say to all of us and businesses, just look, I want you to succeed. I want those businesses to thrive. That's the best way we can create opportunities here. But be more ambitious. Understand the contribution you can make and also the contribution these young people can make in your business.

And that's why wherever I go, whenever I speak to, I'm always interested in the journey that those leaders have been on. And for me, it is the journey that is the really interesting bit, not where people have ended. I was up at the new hospital, talking to the chief exec of the Sandwell and Dudley Hospital Trust Group.

She started off as a nurse in Doncaster 35 years ago. Nothing wrong with being a nurse by the way, but that first job, that first professional job, skilled job was the start of her journey where she's now chief exec of a group of hospital trusts. I spoke to Denise Lewis a few weeks ago, the now president of UK Athletics who grew up in the black country her mother got her into athletics because she was athletic and always wanted to be outside.

became a world leading athlete and star into the media, now president of UK Athletics. Those journeys and those stories, Stephen Knight, the brilliant Stephen Knight didn't make money out of his profession until he was mid 40s. there are, all those stories are really, really important ones, but those people never got there without that first job in that sector. And that first job is so important to people. And it's even more important to people.

when that first job involves them working with people from backgrounds and parts of the country or with a skill set that they don't have or the people around them never had.

Andy Dawson (20:17)

Yeah. And you've mentioned storytelling a couple of times, Richard, which I passionately believe in as well. When you are talking to investors or employers, what's your key message about the story we're starting to build in the region here?

Richard Parker (20:30)

So it's, look, I'm a brutally honest person and ⁓ not overly full of fluff, but it's a real story about this region that we must tell. And it is about this brilliant place we've got with lots of brilliant people and brilliant businesses with a brilliant heritage and a fantastic work ethic with loads of creativity and innovation and invention.

And I say to investors, we just need a bit of help from you to unlock it. I can give you all the support we can to put the building blocks in place, but we need you to unlock it. And that's what we did with Tom Wagner and his team at Knighthead Capital. He came here. He was initially a bit frustrated about all the government agencies he had to work with to get his thing motoring. I put together a task force with the Leader of the City Council.

which we co-chair, that ensured all of our teams and across the public sector were generally working long-stop step with his team. But his project gave us, if you like, the injection of adrenaline we needed to go forward. Now, my job is to give Tom and his team there, give them the three billion they're investing. I wouldn't say the softest landing because we've got to work together and there's hard jobs to cover. to give him the confidence and the assurance that we're going to do everything with them.

to make sure that they make the best of the opportunity. And I don't want opportunities like that to fall through our grasp. But building on that with Tom, my team worked with me to get him into number 10, into number 11 down the street, and into see the transport secretary. And we moved a project that was not on the government's radar at the end of January. And it only came on the radar when this document was produced.

⁓ in mid-February when the business secretary came here and visited Knighthead and then we had a private dinner in the evening to discuss it. That project, we've known about in this region for some time, wasn't on the government's radar at the end of January and three months later by the end of April it was considered the most important regional investment project in the country.

It is about working collaboratively. I'm not going to take the credit for the Knighthead investment that comes from Tom and his team. My responsibility was making a judgment call on when to not intervene, but when to play a part, play my hand to make sure we made the most of it. And what I say to every investor is that we want to open up the networks to you here, make you feel welcome and

we then want to work with you to how we can help you convert your ambitions into something very real. But it breaks the other way too. We not just want to attract more jobs here, and those better paid jobs, but also we've got to protect the jobs and the businesses that are here. So I was reflecting on this last night when I talked to a couple of folks in the automotive industry that we worked hand in hand with JLR.

Andy Dawson (23:21)

Thank

Richard Parker (23:26)

during the trade talks with the US. We ensured that the importance of the automotive industry was at the forefront of the government negotiations because this region depends on it and the role of JLR is fabric to it. We worked really hard behind the scenes. I had a wonderful private letter and I respect the confidences in that from the chief exec of JLR. But that work we did with them, working hand in hand with them and the government.

and making sure everyone worked in lockstep and was really clear about the importance of that. That work, and I also know because I was going twice during that period to London and got called from number 10 to head back to JLR, because the Prime Minister was visiting, but that work saved 35,000 jobs in the region. And that's the other bit of this is, every day you're going in to do this stuff. Now, do know what? This job has cured my insomnia.

But what I would say is during that period of those trade negotiations in the US, I went to bed every evening and woke up very early just concerned about, and I don't, know, everything we do is to avoid the worst case scenarios, but just thinking and sort of being worrying about what the impact would be if, yep, Trump, yep, changes position. And some of that was based, and you talked about storytelling.

PJ Ellis (24:18)

Ha!

Richard Parker (24:43)

I visited in the preceding two weeks a number of suppliers in the supply chain to JLR. And I went around those places and, you know, and they employed, you know, three or four, 500, 600 people. And I knew if this trade deal didn't land the right way, those people wouldn't be at work at the end of the school holidays. And that stuff matters. And that's why, you know, going back to where I started, this job matters because every day it feels like

we're playing for high stakes.

PJ Ellis (25:14)

we are, aren't we? I love that piece around storytelling, collaboration. You said, Richard, unlocking people's potential and the essence, that power of that story behind the person sort of thing, the leader. Somebody said, a previous guest, Ad Davis, ⁓ ex-Gym Shark, said he's been so blessed because of the people that's taken him into the rooms that he never expected to be in.

You said earlier that you had some good fortune in your career. Who took you in those rooms and what did they see in you, Richard?

Richard Parker (25:42)

Yeah,

it's interesting. I probably, you know, we're all ordinary people, we go through life with this, you know, young enthusiasm, thinking lots of things are possible. But I've been really fortunate through my life to have some really good people around me in very, very different ways. But the, the first person I worked for who encouraged me to go back and study was very, important. ⁓

I met my wife at uni, she's been steadfast in support of what I'm doing. And when I was at PwC and a partner, I wasn't home very much. In fact, she came to the last Labour Party conference with me, and I think by the time I got there, I'd not eaten at home for about 21 nights. And when we got there, my team said, we'll speak to her tell her that we're going to manage your diary. And she failed a bit because

Andy Dawson (26:21)

Cheers.

Richard Parker (26:27)

When my team said to her that we're going to work on Richard's diary, you'll see him a bit more, she said, I'm used to it. He was a partner at PWC. But my wife has always been there. And you're those people around you that can talk the truth to you are really important because none of us are perfect. In fact, we're imperfect, aren't we? she's always been there, ensuring I'm grounded and you don't run away with the success and also the

There's the other side of you that is really important, the stuff you do when you're not at work. My wife has always been there and, and, ⁓ she's at arm's length to this role now, but, ⁓ I do talk to her about some of the big, not necessarily the specifics of decisions, but how we might respond to certain, certain things. And, ⁓ although she does come out to me probably once a month to, ⁓ to events I speak at and,

She does say that if I'm ever ill, she knows my speech now. I've been also blessed, when I was at PWC, which is a very developmental organisation, blessed with people that have been there to support and encourage me and spotted that talent in me. A brilliant partner at PWC called John Simpson, who when he came back,

to run the business I was in. His first task was to identify future partners for the business. He found me and reached out to me, and saw what I was doing. And he was the person that gave me that final hoist, if you like. There are others along the way, and John was very helpful in this, is, and this is I say to all of us.

It's very difficult to do all this stuff on your own without other people helping you. So what I needed at PWC were people that would advocate for me, that put me on projects, yep, and give me a profile internally and externally that would help my career development and allow me to make a mark. And if you haven't got those people around you, it's tough.

there is a lot of hard work and you know for all the attention that people like David Beckham got playing football with his free kicks his dead balls you know what people don't see is probably the thousands of hours of practice that goes into it and there's just been something in my approach it's a good job I've enjoyed what I've done because you know I've just worked hard at those things and

I don't think hard work is a guarantee of success, but I think that work leads to opportunity. That's why I say to people, I don't believe in good luck, I believe in bad luck. Because when people say I was in the right place at the right time, there's a reason for that. The reason you're talking to people at that event, there's a reason you're in the room at that time. And it's not just a chance occurrence, there's a reason for it. So I think the other bit

about those people around me is the access I've had to people, but also being fortunate at my time in the room with people that I've learned from. So I've seen how people behave in meetings and conduct themselves and those that lead by example. So I was very fortunate at PWC John Simpson ran the group I was in.

We had a brilliant leader at PwC at the time, Ian Powell, who actually grew up in Sedgley and went to Wolverhampton Poly as it was then. Ian was a very brilliant leader and I benefited from some very wise counsel from him too. Now, more recently, I've always said the best way I can succeed is having the best people around me.

And there are some very good officers in the combined authority, but the team around me that support me in my role, the close team around the mayoral office are truly brilliant because every day they make decisions about what I should do. They, sit in the room discussing, how we approach difficult issues and their, their loyalty and their commitment is essential for me to being successful.

Andy Dawson (30:05)

Richard. Last quick question from me. If we were talking to a 16 year old, Richard Parker, on the 21st of August, 2025, what would you be saying about your future career?

Richard Parker (30:18)

So it's really, really interesting. I would say, and I look at my own journey, ⁓ it's very simple stuff. Believe in yourself without, again, it's not something you can teach people. I would say something else. It's something I realised through my life and it's even more relevant now that if you don't have that self-belief or confidence in yourself, no one else will.

Find those ways and talk to those people and do those things that give you that self-confidence and belief because there aren't people around you giving you that feedback is tough but if you don't have it in yourself, you can't find it in yourself, it's almost impossible to succeed in life and that's not about being arrogant or complacent, it's just having that core strength of self-belief that you need to...

to work with other people and succeed. And that confidence isn't just thinking that you can do anything. It's that the confidence of listening, of knowing that if you listen to people, you can benefit. It's a confidence of knowing that never waste a conversation. There are people around you. Speak to them. Ask some questions. But one thing I would always say to anyone,

that inner confidence, that self-esteem is absolutely fabric to building a better life for yourself.

PJ Ellis (31:29)

Amazing. I mean, we'll call that a hard end. There's no better way of finishing this conversation other than Richard, me thanking you. I always take a few sort of takeaways live. And for me, I've got a long list here from that conversation. Thank you so much, Richard. Self-confidence is key. Find those ways that Richard Parker isn't the mayor of the West Midlands. He's secretary of state for everything. I now know that. ⁓ Look at this, the journey.

Richard Parker (31:52)

You

PJ Ellis (31:54)

I love this, Richard. You said earlier, there's not a business in the West Midlands that you've met yet that haven't shown you their young people. How exciting is that? It gives me some real sort of confidence there. Be inquisitive. Don't waste a question. Learn the importance of working as a team. Have people around you who would tell you the truth, aka your wife in this case, and certainly mine as well. And no doubt, I'm sure it's the same with you, Andy.

Richard, it's been an absolute pleasure. I wish you all the best. We're behind you in this growth plan. We'll support you in any way and shape or form we can. I'd ask you what you were reading, but it sounds like you haven't got much time to read, do you?

Richard Parker (32:30)

I need to read a bit more. I tell you a funny story just to finish. Well, not a funny story, but I was on a panel with Stephen Knight a few weeks ago in the banqueting suite in the council house. And we were doing a Q &A together with the creative sector. And the interviewer said, after the Q &A for the audience, I'm going to ask you both what you've been watching on TV recently. And Stephen looked at me and said, I don't watch TV.

Andy Dawson (32:56)

Yeah.

Richard Parker (32:57)

And I looked at him and said, nor do I, we've got a problem. ⁓ anyway, so I think he said he watched Current Affairs and Sport. I thought, gosh, we've got the same answer here. But I did dig deep and came up with Slow Horses, which I had watched. most of my reading is, I've always been more interested in history and current affairs and biographies than the novels. But

I'm just reading this at the moment by Torsten Bell which is about a year old but

Here we are.

Andy Dawson (33:24)

Perfect, thank you.

PJ Ellis (33:25)

really, really appreciate your time.

On that note, I'll let you dash off to your next meeting wherever you go, Mr. Parker really appreciate it. for a few beers.

Richard Parker (33:29)

I'm off to the Colmore

I wish. No, meeting some

people from CAMRA I think. the campaign for real ale talk about the, I might have a swift half, if I'm allowed.

PJ Ellis (33:39)

Yeah, yeah. ⁓

Andy Dawson (33:42)

Yeah.

PJ Ellis (33:42)

I get it mate,

he's getting the app out isn't he? Ooh bit zesty, 9 out of 10, orange peel I can taste, all that sort of stuff, I've seen it.

Richard Parker (33:49)

Exactly,

So, but no, good luck with the podcast. mean, enjoyed it folks, okay. Pleasure.

Andy Dawson (33:51)

Thanks. Cheers. Thanks,

PJ Ellis (33:53)

Thank you, Richard.