Richard Parker (born c. May 1963) is a British businessman and Labour politician serving as the Mayor of the West Midlands since May 2024.[2] He is a member of the Labour and Co-operative Party.[3] He defeated Conservative incumbent Andy Street in the 2024 West Midlands mayoral election.
Richard Parker | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Parker in 2024 | |
| Mayor of the West Midlands | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2024 | |
| Deputy | Sharon Thompson[1] |
| Preceded by | Andy Street |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 1963 (age 61) Bristol, England |
| Political party | Labour Co-op |
| Profession | Accountant and businessman |
Early life
editParker was born and raised in Bristol.[4][5] He is the son of a docker father and a school secretary mother. He left school aged 16 to work at a local port authority.[6][7] Parker returned to formal education a few years later, and earned a degree in economics.[8]
Business career
editHe is a qualified public finance accountant.[9] In 1989 he joined Price Waterhouse (later PricewaterhouseCoopers) "PwC", rising to become a partner in 2006 and acting as the company's lead for housing and communities.[7] He managed their relationship with the Labour Party for five years, from 2010 to 2015.[6][9] Whilst at PwC, he led a team to advise on the establishment of the West Midlands Combined Authority, and the devolution settlement that this involved.[9]
He left PwC in 2016, setting up his own management consultancy, RP Strategy, working with SMEs and initiatives including housing, green investment and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.[6][10][11]
In April 2024, The Times reported that in the year before he was selected as Labour mayoral candidate, Parker donated £12,000, and a week at his holiday home in Cornwall (valued at £1,400), to Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Parker also donated £5,000 to Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting.[12]
Political career
editParker was elected Mayor of the West Midlands in the 2024 election after a tight race, defeating Andy Street by 1,508 votes.[13]
During the campaign, West Midlands Police confirmed that it was assessing allegations by Gary Sambrook, a Conservative MP, that Parker may have breached electoral law as his home address was outside the West Midlands Combined Authority boundary. Parker commented that he had "a base in Birmingham that I’ve been using to fulfil my campaign."[14][15][16] It was then confirmed by West Midlands Police that the allegations were unfounded, and that there was “no criminal offence to investigate”.[17]
Personal life
editParker has a home in Barnt Green, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, a holiday home in Cornwall,[18] and rents a flat in the city centre of Birmingham.[4][19][20] He is married to a solicitor, and has a son who attended a school in Birmingham and works in manufacturing in the Black Country. Parker has lived in the West Midlands region since 1985.[7][16][20]
He is a supporter of Bristol City F.C.,[20] and has been a member of the Labour Party for 35 years.[7]
References
edit- ^ https://www.wmca.org.uk/news/sharon-thompson-appointed-deputy-mayor-of-the-west-midlands/
- ^ Murray, Jessica (4 May 2024). "Labour's Richard Parker beats Andy Street to become West Midlands mayor". The Guardian.
- ^ Brock, Alexander (4 May 2024). "West Midlands Mayor election results in full by area". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ a b Haynes, Jane. "Labour's Richard Parker shakes off 'unknown' tag in bid to be Mayor of West Midlands". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Madeley, Peter (14 February 2023). "Accountant announces bid to become Labour's candidate for West Midlands Mayor". Express & Star. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "A quick guide to West Midlands mayoral candidate Richard Parker". BBC News. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Richard Parker: Who is the new mayor for the West Midlands?". ITV News. 4 May 2024.
- ^ Murray, Jessica (9 April 2024). "'Low skills blight lives': Richard Parker on his mayoral ambitions". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Richard Parker Labour Party Candidate for West Midlands Mayor". Connections for Prosperity. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ "Richard Parker: Who is the new mayor for the West Midlands?". Great Yarmouth Mercury. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ "Richard PARKER personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ Hughes, Seren (6 May 2024). "Tories urge Rachel Reeves to 'come clean' over donations". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Local Elections 2024: Labour's Richard Parker elected as West Midlands mayor, beating Andy Street". ITV News. 4 May 2024.
- ^ Gutteridge, Nick (1 May 2024). "Labour mayoral candidate reported to police over alleged electoral law breach". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ "Tories blast Labour with police complaints ahead of crucial local elections". The Independent. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ a b Kendix, Max; Wright, Oliver (5 May 2024). "Richard Parker: Labour candidate reported to police over address claim". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ Smith, Mikey (7 May 2024). "Police throw out complaint from Tories accused of wasting officers' time to avoid election defeat". Daily Mirror.
- ^ Hughes, Seren (7 May 2024). "Tories urge Rachel Reeves to 'come clean' over donations". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Gutteridge, Nick (1 May 2024). "Labour mayoral candidate reported to police over alleged electoral law breach". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Who is the new West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker?". Sky News. 4 May 2024.