The Mayor’s role
Richard Parker was elected as Mayor of the West Midlands in 2024. He is chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). He is currently in office until May 2028.
What the Mayor does
The Mayor represents about 2.8m people in:
- Birmingham
- Coventry
- Dudley
- Sandwell
- Solihull
- Walsall
- Wolverhampton
His focus for the West Midlands is:
- economic growth in the region
- improving our transport network
- improving housing in the region
- tackling unemployment and developing jobseekers’ skills
- tackling homelessness
- improving air quality
- improving relationships between different parts of the community in the region
The Deputy Mayor
Councillor Stephen Simkins, the leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, is the region’s Deputy Mayor after being appointed in 2026.
In his role Councillor Simkins, who has been part of the WMCA since it began, will support the Mayor in promoting those priorities and serve as an ambassador for the region.
