I want to to become the new Mayor of the West Midlands and give communities a stronger voice

The Green Party has announced its candidate for this year’s mayoral election in the West Midlands.

Siobhan Harper-Nunes, who has worked with charities and community organisations for more than two decades, says she wants to make the West Midlands Combined Authority work harder for the “most left behind communities” and be more accountable to residents. She also wants to increase the ‘pace and scale’ of regional action on climate change.

She will be up against incumbent mayor Andy Street and Labour Party candidate Richard Parker when the election takes place on May 2 in the spring. Siobhan Harper-Nunes said: “What we have at the moment is just not working for the people of the West Midlands.

“Too many places in the West Midlands are still underfunded and left behind, and this has barely changed over the past 7 years. I will relentlessly focus on how we help our left-behind communities and tackle the cost-of-living crisis.”

Siobhan has previously worked with a raft of organisations to support and improve communities. In 2007, Siobhan Harper-Nunes also founded Shakti Women, an organisation that supports women in both personal and professional development, and is currently vice-chair of Birmingham Race Impact Group, a group working for many years to promote racial justice in the city.

“The West Midlands Combined Authority is out of touch and doesn’t look like or represent us,” she continued. “People still don’t know what it is and what it does. I want to give communities a stronger voice and make sure the Combined Authority works for and listens to us.”

“Action on the climate is too little and too late,” she added. “We need action now, not future promises. I will work to increase the pace and scale of change. For example, greater action on warmer homes so people don’t have to choose between eating and heating.”

The Conservative Party candidate is Andy Street – the incumbent West Midlands mayor. The former John Lewis chief executive has held the post ever since the first election in 2017, successfully defending his position at the subsequent election in 2021.

He has previously said his focuses include creating new jobs and apprenticeships, delivering better transport and providing more homes. He added that he wants to champion the region’s interests and promote pride in the West Midlands and all its communities.

Last year, he formally requested that Police and Crime Commissioner powers and responsibilities be transferred to the Mayor of the West Midlands following May’s elections. A public consultation on the plans are currently under way.

The Labour Party meanwhile has selected Richard Parker as its candidate – a former partner at accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. Speaking last year, Mr Parker said: “The West Midlands is being held back by a failing Tory Mayor and a Tory government who have let our region down.

“Over the next year, I will campaign relentlessly in all of our communities, setting out a vision for a brighter future that brings better-paid jobs and opportunity for all. I will lead an all-out assault on low pay, rogue landlords and crime on our streets,” he continued. “I won’t rest until we have an integrated, affordable, publicly controlled transport system in the West Midlands."