Former cricketer Danial Dalton took his seat in the European parliament on 8th January. He succeeded Sandwell born Philip Bradbourn, who sadly died a little before Christmas, to represent the West Midlands.
Already, Mr Dalton has made an impact. At a Strasbourg meeting today he questioned E.U. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malström on the progress and scope of a joint investment agreement with China.
He said "In my region of the West Midlands, the manufacturing heartland of the United Kingdom, we are making huge strides in entering the Chinese market, helped by the launch of direct flights to Beijing from Birmingham airport."
The flights became possible following the opening of the extended runway at Birmingham Airport in 2014
Mr Dalton continued "Whilst the achievements of West Midlands businesses so far are impressive, can you assure me that a joint investment agreement with China will be concluded soon?"
He further pressed the Commission to aim for an ambitious deal to further grow the West Midland's links with the rapidly growing Chinese market, saying "This agreement, if sufficiently broad in scope, has the potential to help drive further growth in E.U.-China trade and pave the way for a comprehensive free trade deal in the future."
Commissioner Malström agreed with Mr. Dalton that the agreement had potential to be a stepping stone to a broader full trade deal in the future.