I have not U-turned on office in city, mayor says

The West Midlands Mayor has said he does not want to use public money to set up a new office to support him in Coventry.

In his election manifesto, Labour's metro mayor Richard Parker said he wanted "bases outside of Birmingham, in Coventry and the Black Country".

But he denied he had dropped his promise and said he had been using the office of the city council's leader as his base in Coventry.

Mr Parker added he did not want to waste taxpayer funds - and the council office offered "best value for money".

"To be clear, I don't want to use public money to set up a new office that I'll be using once a week or once a fortnight," Parker told BBC CWR.

"What I'm focused on doing is getting out and about the region as much as possible to be visible and accessible."

Parker said he had attended various meetings in Coventry recently including with businesses at Fargo Village and MPs from the Business and Trade Committee.

When asked if he had U-turned on a manifesto pledge, he said: " No, I said I wanted an office in Coventry and that's what I'm doing.

"But I'd rather work in the way we're doing now, flexibly and with more agility than incurring tens of thousands of taxpayers' money, working in an office where I'm not visible and I'm not accessible."

The mayor chairs the West Midlands Combined Authority, covering the local authorities serving Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

His powers are focused on region-wide economic functions including transport, adult skills, infrastructure, housing and business support.

Parker was elected mayor in May, defeating Conservative incumbent Andy Street by a margin of 1,508 votes.

BBC CWR interviewed Parker after his election win and asked his thinking behind setting up an office in Coventry.

He said: "My plan is to be a mayor who's visible, accessible and accountable across the whole region.

"So I made an early commitment of wanting a base in Coventry and the Black Country.

"I'll be discussing the options with the team and with the council leader George Duggins in Coventry.

"I do want to spend as much time out and about and as little time in the office."

He said it was "really about having a base".

Parker said he would make use of space provided by Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils, rather than set up offices in those places as well.