| Mayor of the West Midlands | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| West Midlands Combined Authority | |
| Style | Mayor[1] |
| Member of | West Midlands Combined Authority |
| Seat | 16 Summer Lane,Birmingham |
| Appointer | Electorate ofWest Midlands byfirst past the post |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Constituting instrument | Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 |
| Inaugural holder | Andy Street |
| Formation | 8 May 2017 |
| Deputy | TBA |
| Salary | £79,000[2] |
| Website | West Midlands Combined Authority - The Mayor |
Themayor of the West Midlands is adirectly elected political post who chairs theWest Midlands Combined Authority, covering the local authorities servingBirmingham,Coventry,Dudley,Sandwell,Solihull,Walsall andWolverhampton.
The most recent election took place on Thursday 2 May 2024.Richard Parker took his post as mayor after defeating former incumbentAndy Street by 1,508 votes.[3]
The previous election was delayed for a year due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,[4] so the inaugural mayoral term was extended by a year, with the second term length being reduced to three years between 2021 and 2024. The Mayor's term of office will return to four years from 2024 thereafter.[5]
The mayor has devolved compulsory purchase powers and is responsible for the West Midlandsspatial framework and land commission.
The mayor is responsible for franchised bus services, allowing for standardised fares and branding on all bus services in the county, similar to howLondon's bus network operates.[6] The Mayor is also responsible for the West Midlands Key Route Network, which is managed byTransport for West Midlands on behalf of the Mayor.[7]
The mayor is responsible for ensuring that the first devolution deal is put into action and acts on behalf of the region in negotiating future devolution deals with central government.[8]
The mayor is a member of theMayoral Council for England and theCouncil of the Nations and Regions.
The mayor was to be vested with thepolice and crime commissioner functions for theWest Midlands Police area from 7 May 2024.Due to an appeal by the current west Midlands PCC, the PCC powers was not be given to the West Midlands mayor.[9]
| Colour key (for political parties) |
|---|
| Name | Picture | Term of office | Elected | Political party | Previous occupations | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Street |  | 8 May 2017 | 5 May 2024 | 2017 2021 | Conservative | Formermanaging director ofJohn Lewis | |
| Richard Parker | _(cropped).jpg) | 6 May 2024 | Incumbent | 2024 | Labour and Co-operative | Former strategy consultant and partner ofPwC | |