A Labour Government would appoint a Minister for the West Midlands to ensure the region has a strong voice at Westminster, it was revealed today.

Ed Miliband would appoint a Minister for each English region in a bid to ensure the entire country received a fair deal from Government, and to help businesses in their regions attract investment from across the world.

The manifesto commitment came as Labour leader Mr Miliband also announced plans to divert £20 billion in funding from Whitehall to local councils, to spend on improving transport links, building houses, providing training and creating jobs.

To qualify for the cash, councils would need to work together to create a “combined authority”. This would probably involve Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country councils working together.

They would also need to work closely with the local business community and draw up plans showing how they would use the money to create jobs in the private sector.

The West Midlands had a regional minister under the last Labour government, with the post held first by Birmingham MP Liam Byrne (Lab Hodge Hill) and then by Black Country MP Ian Austin (Lab Dudley North).

A Labour government would appoint nine regional ministers, who would sit on a new Regional Committee chaired by the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Their duties would include helping local councils, central government and Local Enterprise Partnerships, the economic development bodies led by the business community, to work closely together.

They would also champion their area in Whitehall and ensure that the impact of policy proposals on every part of the country is considered.

Regional ministers will work with other Ministers such as the Business Secretary to implement an industrial strategy to create jobs in every part of the country.

And they will encourage tourism and act as a visible representative of their region at major events.

Speaking in Birmingham, Mr Miliband set out plans to strip national government of billions of pounds and send the cash directly to the regions of England for local politicians to spend.

But he warned that funding will go to “city regions” and “county regions” where councils have come together to create a combined authority.

The pledge will provide further encouragement for local councils in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country to put aside their differences and create a regional “super council” focused on economic development.

So far, councils in the Greater Manchester area, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Greater Liverpool regions have created combined authorities - and the North East is in the process of creating its own combined authority bringing together Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

The West Midlands has lagged behind, perhaps partly because of a traditional rivalry between Birmingham and Black Country councils which feared being swallowed up by their large neighbour.

In recent months the mood has changed and the leaders of local authorities in Wolverhampton and Sandwell, in the Black Country, have both backed the idea of a combined authority, which would allow councils to make joint decisions on issues such as transport infrastructure and training schemes.

Mr Miliband announced that plans to devolve £20 billion over the course of the next Parliament to combined authorities will be included in Labour’s General Election manifesto.

He said: “Britain is the country of the industrial revolution. Birmingham was one of the great cities of that revolution.

“But the country of the industrial revolution has ignored the lessons of its own history for far too long.”

Mr Miliband added: “Labour’s message at the next election will be clear:

“Devolving power from Whitehall to our towns and cities is essential to generate the new jobs we need.

“We propose a new bargain: Cities and towns that come together with local businesses will be given historic new powers over transport, housing, skills and economic development.

“We are determined to make our great cities and towns the powerhouses for the creation of good jobs.”