Insider Media Limited

Lord Digby Jones has told Insider that he thinks Birmingham is too small to get its own mayor, should the vote go ahead in November, and has called for a "mayor for the West Midlands".

Saying that he'd be "interested" in standing for Birmingham mayor, Lord Jones said he had reservations about the proposed role.

"Birmingham is in dire need of a figurehead to drive investment," he said. "However, there are three reasons why I think any elected mayor will find it difficult to have any influence.

"Firstly, Birmingham is too small. If you look at where TATA has its operations – they're not all in Birmingham; they're in the greater West Midlands. I think we need a mayor of the West Midlands rather than a mayor of Birmingham.

"Secondly, will the mayor have responsibility for education, policing and transport – or will this stay with elected councillors?

"Lastly, I think businesses need a vote. Those who run the big businesses in the city don't necessarily live in the city, and so might not get a say in who and what will be affecting their livelihoods."

The government's policy on apprentices was also heavily criticised by Lord Jones. Talking to Insider at the launch of Birmingham-based NeutrinoBI's apprenticeship scheme, Lord Jones described the government's track record on apprenticeships as "awful".

Last week the government announced plans to cut the number of vocational courses that will carry the same weight as a standard GCSE pass and be counted in the annual GCSE league tables from 3,000 to just 70. It says the move is part of an attempt to stop schools encouraging students to take qualifications that boost their league table position, but that are not necessarily in the pupil's best interest.

Lord Jones said: "What the government has announced is awful, and it devalues the currency of GCSEs. If you look at a firm like JCB with its engineering academy then to say that students intending to go there can't get the correct qualifications, then its going to cause quite a problem."

National insurance contributions should also be waived for small business, said Lord Jones. "NeutrinoBI has created 14 jobs in its first year, but we've paid £60,000 in national insurance over that time. If we hadn't paid that we could've created another three jobs. It's so crass to put a tax on small businesses when they're trying to create new jobs."

Lord Jones is chairman of Birmingham-based business intelligence software company NeutrinoBI. On Friday the company launched its apprenticeship scheme by unveiling its youngest recruit, 19-year-old apprentice Sonia Younas, a technology student from Bournville College.

Lord Jones added: "The only way Britain will continue to thrive in 'Asia's century' is by safeguarding its future workforce through training. My chairmanship of NeutrinoBI is testament to my belief that knowledge-based work is the way forward for Britain. We have homegrown world-class skills we should be nuturing and exploiting and this company is no exception.”