Labour mayoral hopeful shocked by ragged state of West Midlands
The Bristolian who wants to be Labour's candidate for West Midlands Mayor admits he is stunned at how poverty-stricken parts of the region are.
Richard Parker said he wanted to bring renewed hope to a region he claimed was largely characterised by neglect and desperation – with the Black Country in particular need of "help".
The former corporate accountant at global giant PwC has lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years but says recently the levels of squalor have really hit home.
He told the Express & Star: "In the West Midlands things are going backwards not forwards. Over the last six or seven months I have been visiting parts of the region and I have been shocked and saddened by the neglect, the lack of hope, the poverty, the desperation and the lack of aspiration that exists in many, many parts of this region.
"It's time we did things differently, and that needs a change in focus from the central business district to all of our communities."
Mr Parker has positioned himself as the centre-left choice in the battle for Labour candidacy against the likes of Corbynite Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster.
He concedes he is a relative unknown in the eyes of the public and needs to raise his profile, but says behind the scenes he has a "strong track record of delivery".
This includes running PwC's relationship with the Labour frontbench between 2010 and 2015 and chairing the West Midlands Finance and Industry Group, which aims to build bridge between politicians and business.
He also worked with local council leaders to put together the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) he now hopes to head, and was involved in negotiating the region's first devolution deal.
Mr Parker says if selected his key policies will focus on addressing the "profound inequalities" in the West Midlands – which he claims Conservative Mayor Andy Street has failed to do.
He wants to bring in a "greener, cleaner and cheaper" integrated transport system that reflects London's, tackle the skills gap by improving training and employment opportunities, and shift the focus of the West Midlands Growth Company to young entrepreneurs and SMEs to help rebuild the region's economy "from the bottom up".
He also hit out at the lack of powers afforded by the region's devolution deal and called for an end to the system of authorities bidding against each other for government funding.
When put to him that his policies sound remarkably like Mr Street's, he said: "I will deliver in a way he hasn't."
Mr Parker, who was born in Bristol and now lives in Worcestershire, has pledged to open a mayoral office in the Black Country, an area which he said needs "help and a lift".
He said he believes Labour is heading in the right direction under Sir Keir Starmer, who he credits with "turning the party around" in a short space of time and insists will deliver a victory at the next general election.
He has already received a wide range of endorsements from Labour Party figures, although some of them might not do him any favours.
They include Hodge Hill MP Liam Byrne, who lost out to Mr Street in 2021 after a calamitous campaign which saw him blame the media for his defeat and accuse Labour staff of briefing against him.
