Supporters of the Labour leader hope he will make the most of his ideological advantage over the Government.

Resolution Foundation said 95% of the population will still get poorer as the cost-of-living crisis continues.

The money will go towards providing a rescue service and specialist one-to-one support for victims.

Walsall police are appealing for help to find a missing man last seen in Brownhills.

An urgent treatment centre in Wolverhampton has reopened after undergoing "unforeseen emergency building repairs".

People in Walsall were lukewarm on Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's mini-budget, saying even more help is needed.

Relieved campaigners have successfully fought off plans for a huge “horrendous eyesore” 5G phone mast being put up outside their homes

A casualty was treated by medics after a car smashed into a barrier on the M54.

Two Black Country stars have put on their dancing shoes for the launch of the 20th series of Strictly Come Dancing.

A glassblower from Wolverhampton who won a Netflix reality series about the trade has created the world's first sparkling water glass.

A major tram extension and other key Black Country infrastructure projects will be fast tracked under new Government plans, ministers have confirmed.

A meeting to look into whether Sandwell used ‘incomplete information’ to make a decision to build on a former golf course has been delayed due to a by-election.

A new KFC restaurant and takeaway is set to open in the centre of Wolverhampton after council bosses approved plans.

This time next week the results will be in. And guess what? It will turn out Vladimir Putin was right all along.

He may be celebrating the milestone of 50 years as a recording artist, but Leo Sayer is, in his own words, "chomping at the bit to get going".

Primary school pupils in Staffordshire have celebrated raising their new Eco-Schools Green Flag at the entrance of their school site.

A brand-new instillation featuring a gigantic 14-foot balloon canine has been unveiled to keep ill children company.

A first-of-its-kind development will see an academy and orchestra work together to develop a "unique learning experience".

The Stafford 10k returns this weekend with runners taking on a route that winds its way around the town centre.

A pop-up theatre group whose cast contains six members of the same family is bringing a new show to the Black Country and Staffordshire.

Passengers face train delays when travelling through Stourbridge Junction and Smethwick Galton Bridge tonight due to trespassers on the line.

More lineside fires has meant a return to diesel-hauled services for at the Severn Valley Railway.

In July Birmingham’s Raging Bull was feted by millions watching the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony – and last week he was still pulling a crowd in Centenary Square.

Health bosses in Wolverhampton are urging more people to take cancer screening tests after figures revealed a huge decline in numbers over the last five years.

Albert’s Schloss in Birmingham has laid on live entertainment throughout Pride.

Licensing bosses are to discuss an extension to pavement licences for cafes, restaurants and bars next week.

A family cat which was missing for more than two months has nonchalantly returned home.

Residents are being urged to be vigilant following a recent rise in mobile phone scams involving suspected thieves claiming to be police officers.

Police have asked residents to be "mindful" of online fake news which has circulated around the disorder outside a Hindu temple in Smethwick.

Staff at Halesowen College will be joining a picket line next week in a row over pay amid the cost-of-living crisis, union bosses have announced.

More than 40 West Midlands charities have come together to try to break the world record for the biggest ever charity quiz.

Both Benjamin Mendy and Louis Saha Matturie deny multiple sex offences against a string of young women.

More than half of respondents to a survey by West Mercia's police and crime commissioner disagreed that proposals for police buildings would make it easier to access police services.

A farm on the edge of Wolverhampton is getting ready to welcome visitors eager to pick their own pumpkins in time for Halloween.

A prominent Darlaston boozer could have a new grocery store and takeaway built on site to help boost business for the pub.

The Chancellor abolished the top rate of income tax for the highest earners.

Retail chain The Works saw growth in sales and returned to profit in the year to May 1.

Social prescribing has been mooted as a targeted way to tackle root causes of health inequality in Sandwell, according to a report.

A white van man has been branded "a scumbag" for stealing a free community fruit box.

Television's The Chase star Shaun Wallace was the guest at a gala held to mark a charity's 35th anniversary.

The Government wants a new approach to growth, Mr Kwarteng said, with the aim, over the medium term, to reach a trend rate of growth of 2.5%.

A former pregancy advice and abortion care centre in Wolverhampton is to be converted into a mixture of office space and flats, planners agreed this week.

A by-election to replace a Sandwell councillor who was suspended by the Labour party is set to take place next month.

A 20-metre-tall mast can be installed to provide 5G coverage on the edge of South Staffordshire after a district council decision was overturned by a planning inspector.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has appointed a new area manager of its Strategic Intelligence Department.

A CGI image of what the Aldi extension in Bearwood may look like once refurbished has been released this week.

A man has died after he was found stabbed in a crashed car near a hospital.

A police raid on a million pound cannabis factory in Tipton has led to the discovery of an alleged modern day slavery gang – and a small bird.

Cannock Chase councillors have held a special meeting to pay tribute to the late Queen and offer their best wishes to the new King.

An energy storage facility has been given the go-ahead by a planning inspector for Green Belt land on the edge of South Staffordshire.

A biker is facing enforcement action from Stafford Borough Council for “unauthorised use” of a garage – but he says the site is only used to store motorcycles and they will be relocated to a new site in the coming weeks.

The reopening date for a Walsall hospice has been delayed due to global supply-chain issues.

A school that was unable to open to pupils for the start of the term due to problems with building work has announced it will be reopening its doors on Monday.

The West Midlands is being lined up to host low tax investment zones, the Chancellor has announced.

The Chancellor announced a raft of tax cuts in a mini-budget.

Another 21 food establishments around the Black Country and Staffordshire have received new hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency.

Labour has accused the Government of admitting to "12 years of Tory failure" as the Chancellor announced the biggest tax cuts in half a century.

The impressive 30ft bull structure which has attracted thousands of visitors to Birmingham has been removed.

An disused multi-storey car park will be compulsory purchased to help transform the fortunes of Cannock town centre.

A man has failed to appear in court in connection with the assault of two emergency workers.

Two prolific drug suppliers have had their sentences increased after running "one of the largest drugs laboratories ever found in the UK".

Network Rail said only about 11% of services will operate on October 1.

Earlier this month, the Competition and Markets Authority raised concerns over 35 locations.

Black cab drivers in Wolverhampton who don’t offer contactless card payments as an option – or try to add a surcharge to the fare – will face legal action, the city’s licensing boss has warned.

Jazz guitarist Phil Robson has long been one of the most compelling players on his instrument, with a fluid, expressive style that’s always a joy to hear.

An urgent treatment centre in Wolverhampton has shut due to "unforeseen emergency building repairs".

A man was arrested on suspicion of publishing material with intent to incite religious hatred after handing himself in at a police station.

A missing 54-year-old who was last seen more than two weeks ago has still not been seen.

Two men who work for the Walsall NHS Trust have spoken of their "joyous" experiences meeting the Queen, who made them feel like "VIPs".

Urgent emergency care at Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital remains under "considerable pressure" as doctors also battle an almost 20-month waiting list for routine medical procedures.

An elderly woman had to be taken to hospital after being hit by a car outside a garden centre.

A man accused of causing the death of a woman in a road smash will face trial next year.

An “excellent worker” known for his smart appearance is retiring after more than three decades with the NHS.

A car driver is helping with police inquiries after a cyclist was seriously hurt in a collision in Halesowen.

Parking charges in West Bromwich are set to more than triple under new plans unveiled by council chiefs.

Halesowen's The Steve King Big Band will be joined by American singer Lynn Dawes for a lunchtime concert in Birmingham.

A pub in Brownhills has reopened its doors once again following a £160,000 investment.

A government support package which will help cut energy bills for businesses has been welcomed by a restaurant owner in the Black Country.

A Walsall road frequently used by parents has been closed for resurfacing work.

Traffics has been released on the M6 southbound after to a crash between a lorry and a car.

A person has died after an incident near to Dudley Port railway station.

A man has been charged with murder after a stabbing in Birmingham.

Police swooped when they spotted a Ford Ka with cloned plates in Bilston.

It is time to start fracking says Colin Knipe, an engineering geologist and mining engineer from Dudley:

Relatives of a West Bromwich soldier who died in the Battle of the Somme with his best friends have visited his grave in France.

A couple's back garden wall has been destroyed after a car came crashing through it.

Permanent memorials to the late Queen are being considered for a number of areas in the Black Country, council bosses have revealed.

More rubbish was dumped in St Thomas’s than any other ward in Dudley over the last two years.

A blowtorch being used in roof repair work sparked a major fire at a wedding venue, West Midlands Fire Service has said.

The Chancellor said reversing the tax rise imposed by Boris Johnson’s government will boost growth.

The Priory Hospital Woodbourne has had its overall rating downgraded from “good” to “inadequate” after Matthew Caseby died in September 2020

A 21-year-old woman has been left with serious facial injuries following an assault in Cannock.

An Oldbury mother has achieved her dream of opening a florist in Warley after vowing to show her autistic son "anything can be done"

Staff at a One Stop shop in Brierley Hill have been threatened by robbers armed with a screwdriver and a hammer.

The company will run extra trains on its key London-Manchester and London-Birmingham routes from Tuesday.

‘Dangerous’ land which has become a magnet for fly-tipping is to be transformed with a new factory built on site.

Birmingham's Albert’s Schloss is launching its Bavarian inspired breakfast and brunch menu to the best Broadway show tunes this weekend.

Two men have been released on bail after sensitive gang intelligence was stolen from an off-duty police officer's car.

Schools bosses in Wolverhampton are being asked to approve the appointment of a dedicated full-time education post in its new exploitation hub, which works with vulnerable children and young people.

An 18-year-old man who was arrested after fireworks and missiles were thrown at police in Smethwick has been released with no further action.