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HATS OFF TO TOM WAGNER WHO HAS PUT TIME AND ENERGY INTO GETTING THE GOVERNMENT ONSIDE OVER HIS 'TRANSFORMATIVE' VISION 13:59, 05 Jun 2025Updated 17:43, 10 Jun 2025 The idea of a

wealthy foreign businessman using his money and power to access the highly protected holders of high office to influence multi-million pound public spending decisions would normally send red

flags waving. But the devil is definitely in the detail. In an exclusive conversation, Chancellor Rachel Reeves opened up to BirminghamLive about the backroom discussion she held with

billionaire American Tom Wagner, chairman of Birmingham City FC and co-founder of hedge fund Knighthead Capital Management, ahead of this week's major transport funding announcement.

READ MORE: WHEN NEW BLUES STADIUM AND TRAM LINE LINK WILL BE OPEN AS BIRMINGHAM CITY OWNERS SAY 'QUICKLY' She told how Wagner's 'excitement' over his proposed £3

billion sports quarter vision helped persuade her to unlock up to £400 million of public cash for a tram line from Birmingham city centre to the front door of the new venture, with money

also to upgrade the existing railway station and platforms at Adderley Park that sits at the north end of the site. It's a remarkable coup for Wagner, who has spent months personally

lobbying the city council, commissioners, regional mayor Richard Parker and ministers to improve transport infrastructure to the 125 acre site in Bordesley Green, with the implied threat

that he would pull his investment without their backing. Article continues below Speaking to us at the official announcement of a £2.4 billion funding package for transport projects across

the West Midlands - including the Sports Quarter plan - the Chancellor confirmed she had met Wagner privately at his request to hear him out. The resulting deal was a 'really good

example' of using publicly funded schemes to leverage private investment. Of the Wagner investment, she said: "The investment we are making, in terms of the tram line, will

leverage in £3 billion of private money, well above and beyond what Government is putting in. "That is going to be in new housing, new jobs, in retail and sports and leisure

opportunities, and it's a perfect example of what this Government wants to do in practice." READ MORE:TOM WAGNER HAILS 'TRANSFORMATIVE' £2.4BN SPORTS QUARTER DECISION

READ MORE:BIRMINGHAM CITY RELEASE 'WORLD CLASS' STATEMENT AFTER £2.4BN SPORTS QUARTER ANNOUNCEMENT Detailing her personal encounter with Wagner, she gave an insight into the

machinations that go on behind closed doors. "Tom asked to come and see me just a few weeks ago. Before I saw him Richard (Parker, West Midlands mayor) sent me this message to say

'you are meeting this guy, this is really serious and a really big priority for me'. "I then asked my team for more information so I was really prepared for the meeting - I

met Tom and he was really excited about what he had to say. "The next day he met Heidi Alexander (Transport Secretary) - Heidi and I then met and talked it through and then got back in

touch with Richard (Parker) to say we really want to make this work." She said of her direct involvement: "This is about doing things at pace - businesses do things at pace and

it's (what we need to do) if we want to attract that investment, which could go anywhere in the world - we want it to come to Britain and the West Midlands. "As a government we

have to act quickly and work with business and with local leaders." Asked if this could potentially open the floodgates to other business leaders seeking their own private audience with

high ranking ministers to discuss projects, she said only that she believed firmly in the role of public investment to unlock private spending. The Chancellor is bringing in major changes

to what is called the Green Book, issued by the Treasury setting out the 'rules' for appraising policies, programmes and projects. The changes are designed to ensure the rules

better align with the government's objectives, especially in areas like levelling up in the regions and achieving net zero. A review highlighted that the previous Green Book was not

effectively supporting these goals, particularly in assessing projects with transformational impacts. She said: "To date it has been too easy for central Government to say to northern

and midland leaders 'I'm sorry, it doesn't pass our tests' - well, that's because the tests were set up wrong. We are changing that so more investment can come to

the West Midlands and the north of England." Both Wagner and mayor Parker have been open about their 'tag team' lobbying efforts, posting photos outside 10 Downing Street and

during meetings with ministers. During the launch event this week, Wednesday June 5, Wagner praised the mayor for his 'steadfast support' for the project, thanked Ladywood MP

Shabana Mahmood (also Justice Secretary) for her help, and praised the Chancellor for "making a bold move to back something so quickly that is still in the planning stages but that I

promise will progress very quickly." He said of the scheme: "It is exciting not just for the club and this part of the city, but it is a citywide and regional project that will

receive national and international attention, I can assure you of that. "It shows the value of collaborating and drawing inbound investment into areas that so desperately need it."

READ MORE: TOM WAGNER REVEALS NEW SPORTS QUARTER DETAILS WITH TWO BIRMINGHAM CITY STADIUMS PLANNED He had started his address at the funding announcement briefing with a jibe at critics,

sarcastically welcoming the audience to celebrate 'the stadium that will never be built, the funding that will never be approved, and a Government that cannot act quickly enough.'

He described the investment being made by Knighthead as 'the fruit of the labour' of politicians backing HS2, which he said was pivotal. The Chancellor later announced that she

would be hosting a regional investment summit in the West Midlands this autumn to emphasise the potential of the region to other investors. Article continues below She described it as a

clear sign of a Labour government 'working in partnership with a Labour mayor for the people of the West Midlands, putting investment over decline, putting stability over chaos, so we

can deliver the change people wanted when they voted for Richard and for this Labour government.'