Dudley North MP, Ian Austin, has joined the Parliamentary Group for the Fourth Industrial Revolution to make sure areas like the Black Country aren’t left behind from advances in new technology.

Mr Austin will be using his membership to campaign to bring new investment, new industries and new jobs to the Black Country.

The new group brings together MPs and industry experts to encourage Government, Parliamentarians, academics, and businesses to ensure Britain benefits from new technologies and new hit-tech industries. Mr Austin said:

“Dudley lit the spark that fired the industrial revolution, changing the whole of the world. No one is prouder of the area than me, but we all know we’ve struggled to new investment, new industries and new jobs to replace the ones we lost in traditional industries.

“I’ll be looking at plans for how we can bring some of these new jobs to the Black Country, because the places that get them will be the places with the skills they need - this is why I keep saying we have to made education and skills our number one priority.”