Midlands’ first elected mayor to serve three years
Timetable is revealed for groundbreaking election as potential candidates line up
ADATE has been set for the election of the first West Midlands mayor, but the job will only last three years.
The first ever West Midlands mayor will be elected on May 4 2017 – but the first term will be less than the expected four-year term.
A fresh election is then set to be held in 2020, under rules approved by Parliament.
After that, elections will be held every four years.
A timetable for electing the regional mayor is set out in a statutory instrument – a form of legislation – which has been approved by the House of Lords and is set to be approved by MPs in the House of Commons this week. It is called the West Midlands Combined Authority (Election of Mayor) Order 2016.
The order officially creates a West Midlands mayor to take charge of transport and strategic planning.
The mayor will also chair the new West Midlands Combined Authority, which will take on responsibility for funding of £36.5 million a year over 30 years to spend in infrastructure such as better roads or rail links, and more.
There will usually be four years between elections. But this would mean a mayoral elected in 2017 would be up for re-election in 2021 – but there are no council elections in that year.
So the Government has decided that the next mayoral election should be in 2020, to ensure that they take place at the same time as most local councils in the region go to the polls, and every four years after that.
Voters in Birmingham, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley, Coventry, Solihull and Wolverhampton will be eligible to take part in the vote for a mayor.
But Labour’s local government spokesman in the House of Lords, Lord Beecham, pointed out that the mayor will chair a West Midlands Combined Authority which also includes Cannock Chase, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Redditch, Tamworth, and Telford and Wrekin.
Because these are “non-constituent” members of the combined authority rather than full members, local people would not get to vote on the mayor.
Lord Beecham said: “How is this consistent with democratic local government?”
Labour is in the process of choosing a candidate to stand in the mayoral election.
Party members in the region have been asked to choose between West Midlands MEP Sion Simon and former Birmingham councillor Steve Bedser, in a secret postal ballot.
Meanwhile, John Lewis boss Andy Street, the chairman of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, which supports employers in the region, is expected to apply to become the Conservative candidate.
People across Birmingham and the West Midlands will have a chance to take part in a debate about plans for a regional mayor at an event in Birmingham Library on Thurday this week (July 21).
Birmingham MP Gisela Stuart (Lab Edgbaston) will be among those taking part. She has been a vocal supporter of the idea of creating a powerful mayor.
Also involved is Paul Faulkner, chief executive, Greater Birmingham and Solihull Chamber of Commerce, which represents businesses across the region.
Marc Reeves, editor of the Birmingham Post and West Midlands editor-in-chief for Trinity Mirror Regionals, is also taking part.
There will be a panel discussion on the top priorities of a mayor in the first 100 days of office and a question and answer session.
It has been organised by leading think tank the Centre For Cities.