Proposed salary for elected mayor revealed

THE first West Midlands Mayor is likely to be paid about £79,000 a year, the Birmingham Post can reveal.

That is the sum being proposed by an independent panel in a briefing to the group of council leaders who are due to set the salary on March 4.

The panel, which was chaired by Professor Steve Leach of De Montfort University, studied the role and responsibilities of the mayor and looked at what other public figures in the region earn. John Clancy, for example, is paid £50,000 a year as Birmingham City Council leader.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan earns £144,000 a year, and in Greater Manchester interim mayor Tony Lloyd picks up £100,000 a year – though both carry out the duties of the police and crime commissioner. This is currently a separate role in the West Midlands.

The West Midlands panel heard evidence from Wolverhampton council leader Roger Lawrence, Solihull leader Bob Sleigh and Dudley leader Pete Lowe before reaching their conclusion.

They also decided there should be no salary for the deputy mayor – as that role will be filled by one of the region’s seven council leaders.

Their recommendation will go to the West Midlands Combined Authority board for approval on March 4. A salary must be before March 24 ahead of May 4 election.

It would mark a massive pay cut for Conservative candidate Andy Street if he were successful – he was, until recently, managing director of retail giant John Lewis and thought to be on a seven figure salary. Labour candidate Siôn Simon actually earns £79,000 as a European MP. set the