A new dawn as the West Midlands mayor sets out his vision in his first council meeting

Richard Parker promised a “collaborative, open and transparent” way of working as he took the lead at his first council meeting as West Midlands mayor. Mr Parker chaired the meeting at Wolverhampton City Council’s Civic Center on Friday (June 14) and immediately laid out his table of how he plans to work with local authority leaders across the region.

One of his first tasks was to announce Councilor Sharon Thompson – the current deputy leader of birmingham – city council > Birmingham City Council – as the new deputy mayor. He also announced that the council leaders who will form his cabinet will no longer handle specific portfolios and will instead contribute to discussions on all key decisions.

Mr Parker also said the Council would meet in towns and cities across the region and not just in Birmingham. In his opening remarks, he also congratulated Walsall Council for winning the Local Government Chronicle’s ‘Most Improved Council in the Country’ award and echoed his election victory tribute to his predecessor Andy Street and his “fantastic platform” on which he remained to work.

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Mr Parker said: “I am delighted to be here today as the newly elected Metro Mayor for the West Midlands and I would like to welcome you all to my first board meeting today. My plan is to hold these meetings across the region and rotate the venues so that we take these meetings to every part of the West Midlands.

“We will make what we do and how we do it as relevant as possible to all our communities. The Combined Authority was established to encourage collaboration across the region, encouraging us to work for the wider benefit of all our communities and myself. my plan and commitment going forward is to do just that.

“The key to working together is for me to work in a very open and transparent way. This has to be how we start to make a difference in the region that needs it, and I put collaboration at the heart and center of everything. I want to do.

“The only way we can affect change is to work collaboratively and that includes not just council leaders but businesses, colleges, universities and the third sector across the region. I don’t want any decision, significant and significant for the future. from this region to be taken without formal consideration and collaboration with the board leaders and their executive directors.

“I need all council leaders to make the greatest possible contribution to the Combined Authority and I hope the new way of working will enable them to do that in the most productive way.”

And on appointing Councilor Thompson as his deputy, he said: “I look forward to working with Sharon in the future. She has a very important role in Birmingham, but also has a fantastic amount to add to some of the differences. and the changes we need to make in the region”.

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