Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng have so far not ruled out such a real-terms cut to benefits.

Traffic on a busy part of the motorway network were left facing delays after a vehicle caught fire.

More rail workers are to strike in worsening disputes breaking out in the industry.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said the approach will be implemented ‘as soon as practically possible’.

Halfords Group has bought Stafford-based Lodge Tyre for £37.2 million.

Supermarket chain Lidl is holding recruitment open days at its warehouse in Wednesbury.

Vertu Motors, which includes Bristol Street Motors in Stafford and West Bromwich, and Vauxhall Lichfield, saw profits fall in the six months to the end of August.

There were delays on the M6 this morning after a broken down vehicle caught fire.

Members of the drivers’ union Aslef and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) will walk out, causing huge disruption to services.

The holder of the winning ticket of a whopping £7.4 million lottery scoop has still not picked up their prize months on.

The RAC has again accused major fuel retailers of failing to pass on savings in fuel prices to drivers by hiking profit margins.

The Prime Minister will insist that ‘everyone will benefit’ from her plan to cut taxes and boost growth.

Drivers are being denied a further 10p cut in petrol prices due to major retailers hiking profit margins, according to new analysis.

Safety-conscious parents are appealing to their council to reverse a ban on a body-worn camera for a school crossing patrol.

The Repair Shop's Jay Blades has fulfilled a promise he made at the Pride of Britain Awards to come back to Wolverhampton for a charity event.

An intrepid pair of fundraisers are set to take part in a 16-day challenge to raise money for Birmingham Children's Hospital and Promise Dreams.

The boss of a West Midlands poultry business says farmers are doing all they can to protect livestock from the threat of avian flu.

The cost-of-living crisis has seen new methods for helping people struggling with increasing food prices and utility bills start up.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street was among the guests at a traditional Hindu festival.

A woman from Tipton has won two awards which celebrate female leadership and achievement.

The Covid-19 inquiry will quite rightly look at the facts and the immediate lessons to be learned.

Angry councillors in Walsall said they are being used as a “cash cow” after reluctantly agreeing to an ‘outrageous’ tax to protect an out of town beauty spot.

A close-knit family has been jostling to make a fuss of the latest arrival to the clan which now has five generations.

Digbeth Dining Club have scrapped the entrance fee to its venues to help those struggling with the cost of living crisis.

A major road in Hagley near Stourbridge was shut after a crash.

The head girl of a West Bromwich school is heading to Cambridge University after clinching a bursary from examination board OCR.

Dudley residents have been warned not to touch dead wild birds which have been found throughout the borough amid warnings about avian flu.

Two choirs from Shropshire and Staffordshire are joining forces for a concert in Codsall.

Big-hearted fundraisers in Cannock have raised £1,000 for children in war-torn Ukraine.

Poultry and bird keepers in Staffordshire are being advised to keep their birds housed after a case of avian influenza was found in a yard.

Residents in Lower Gornal have said they “will be surrounded” by new homes following a bulldozer plan for a fire-ridden pub.

Motorists have been warned to expect congestion in Dudley all week due to a burst water main.

Police have appealed for information after damage caused by a rise in illegal use of off-road vehicles at a National Trust property near Bridgnorth.

The long-running rail dispute over jobs, pay and conditions continues to spark industrial action.

Plans to turn two large houses in a deprived area of Wolverhampton into six modern flats have been rejected by council bosses for the second time due to concerns over parking and heavy traffic.

Completion of a £40 million state-of-the-art urgent care centre at Walsall Manor Hospital has been delayed due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the building trade.

A man has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to causing the death of a six-year-old girl by dangerous driving.

Plans to build a block of high-quality, short-term accommodation for the homeless have been unanimously approved by Wyre Forest District Council.

More than £16 million will be spent on providing spaces for special needs children in mainstream schools and stop others from being sent outside Staffordshire.

A man has been seriously injured after being assaulted near an Asda in Walsall town centre.

Two men have fled from the scene of a car crash in Sedgley, after police saw the suspected stolen car speeding.

Liz Truss turned her focus to driving growth in the West Midlands as she took time out from the rigours of the Tory Party Conference to visit a local building site.

A murder investigation has been launched after a man who was stabbed during a disorder in Oldbury has died from his injuries two weeks later.

The whole of Dudley’s historic police station is set to be turned into apartments including old office rooms and the criminals’ cells.

Lucy Letby is said to have gone on a year-long killing spree at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Birmingham restaurant The Wilderness has created an American-style menu to match with Belgian beer Duvel.

Jane Stevenson MP visited Wolverhampton's Abbeyfield House to mark Starts at Home Day.

More than 100 actors have been hired to scare visitors to a Staffordshire farm for "fright nights" throughout October.

The Prime Minister said she would ‘like to see the higher rate lower’ for the wealthiest.

Plans have been made to open a new pizza takeaway and delivery shop in Wolverhampton city centre.

Green-fingered pupils have helped Hartlebury CE Primary School earn Green Flag status and supplied a bumper crop of vegetables to villagers.

Turnover for Birmingham Airport recovered in its last financial year when it was still severely affected by restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic.

A new store from footwear retailer Shoe Zone will launch in Kidderminster on Saturday, October 8.

Two lanes of the M6 remained closed on Tuesday lunchtime after a lorry caught fire earlier in the morning.

“It's so easy to make the offender the villain. It's nice to go in there and understand they aren't evil. I came out of there and I just felt so good."

The Severn Valley Railway has revealed details for its 'Scream Train' event.

Canines will be able to run free without “fear of escape” if a new dog-walking facility is opened on farm land in Walsall.

Hundreds of jobs and training opportunities will be on offer at one of Dudley's largest jobs fairs which will be held later this week.

A plaque dedicated to the work of one of Wolverhampton’s most respected artists and supporters of the city’s historic art gallery has been unveiled at the building.

A pensioner had an envelope of money stolen from her by a woman who offered to help her get off a bus.

The first evidence sessions are due to begin in spring 2023.

An increasing number of small and medium-sized businesses in the West Midlands are selling on Amazon.

A Lego-obsessed lorry driver has filled his living room, bedroom and hallways with his creative builds.

A project designed to encourage young girls to break barriers and take up careers in science and engineering has been launched at a Walsall primary school.

Greggs has revealed how it is cashing in on the cost of living crisis.

People have been urged to come forward and potentially receive a £500 reward if they can help trace a fly-tipper who dumped tyres in Willenhall.

A former bank could be transformed into a Papa John’s pizza takeaway if plans are given the green light.

A man has died and another two have been injured following a two-car crash on the M42 overnight.

Thousands of people across the Black Country and Staffordshire who receive benefits will receive the second instalment of their Cost of Living Payment next month.

Wolverhampton is gearing up to celebrate its annual Diwali gathering – the festival of lights – which will be held at the city's Phoenix Park later this month.

Black Country business loan provider BCRS Business Loans is ready to ‘step up’ to support companies facing financial pressures during the current cost of living crisis, its chief executive told the annual general meeting.

Liz Truss has burned through political capital like Jeff Bezos burns through rocket fuel. The Prime Minister who was initially rejected by two thirds of her own MPs has wasted no time in ending the honeymoon period that she might have enjoyed.

Here are some recent entries from Liz Truss’s conference diary.

It was a full house when delighted classical music fans flocked to Wolverhampton's St Peter's Collegiate Church to enjoy the sound of a popular organ symphony.

Fire fighters worked to stop a fire at an electrical sub-station in Staffordshire.

Sport and culture in the region is set to benefit from a large sum of funding from the Commonwealth Games funds.

Tory delegates have been attacked, spat at and chased on their way into the party conference in Birmingham, a senior minister has claimed.

The Conservative Party conference was locked down over a potential security alert.

19,000 people in Stafford were left without power today, due to a major incident at a National Grid site in the area.

A man was stabbed to death in a fight involving a "large group of men" in Coventry on Sunday night.

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng delivered his Tory conference speech just hours after abandoning a plan to axe the 45p rate of income tax for top earners.

The stars of this year's Birmingham Hippodrome pantomime donned their costumes on Monday to officially launch Dick Whittington.

People will be able to start their workout earlier on weekdays at a Black Country leisure centre after new opening times came into force.

A plan for the future long-term use of the centrepiece stadium of the Commonwealth Games is set to be presented.

A shocking picture of a reservoir near the source of the River Severn shows the lasting impact of the driest summer months in over 170 years.

More than £365,000 has been pledged to tackle anti-social behaviour and promote the safety of women in Wolverhampton city centre.

Almost 65 people braved the rain to take part in a walk through Wolverhampton to celebrate recovery from addiction and dependency – and raise awareness.

Ian McKellen, John Bishop, and Mel Giedroyc will star in a pantomime production of Mother Goose, arriving at Wolverhampton Grand next year.

A beautiful sunrise this morning inspired many readers to capture the moment.

Andy Street has criticised the Government's ditched plan to cut the top rate of income tax as being "against any reasonable notion of fairness".

A lorry has collided with a level crossing barrier and caused delays to train lines running through Cradley Heath Train Station.

Lifelong Woverhampton Wanderers fan and ex-footballer Eddie Cowley has received one of the very last 100th birthday cards signed by the Queen before her death last month.

It was a weekend of celebration for a South Staffordshire village as a popular beer festival returned for another year.

Firefighters are expecting a surge in the number of accidental house fires over winter amid concerns over how people heat their homes as energy bills increase.

Sports fans using the BT Sport app were up in arms as their £25 monthly renewals appeared multiple time in their bank accounts on Monday.

Bus routes across Staffordshire are being propped-up by council chiefs after a one-off intervention to save those at risk of being axed.

Water regulator Ofwat said that the utility companies have been fined for missing targets in areas such as water supply interruptions.

Growing supermarket chain Aldi, which has recently become Britain’s fourth largest grocery group, plans to open 16 more stores before the end of the year.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor have backed down on the much-criticised move for the highest earners.

Elf on the Shelf is set to come to life in December to raise funds and awareness of the vital work of a charity.