West Midlands Mayor Election Odds Back Labour’s Parker Over Street
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Betting sites believe Labour candidate Richard Parker will defeat incumbent Andy Street in the West Midlands mayoral election and deliver a major blow to the Conservatives on May 2.
Mr Street has served as mayor for the region since 2017 but in recent weeks has ditched all references to the Conservatives in his campaign material.
The former John Lewis boss has seen his poll ratings tank and claims that’s to do with him being associated with the Tory party in Westminster.
Labour’s Parker, by contrast, has a far smaller profile but is attracting voters due to his party’s performance in the polls.
However, Mr Parker is not guaranteed victory here. In fact, Mr Street is working hard to turn the tide and get noticed, with voters seemingly open to backing the candidate, not the name, in this election.
West Midlands Mayor Betting
Political betting sites opened their market and immediately placed Mr Parker as the frontrunner over Mr Street.
Yet the election is by no means over. The betting suggests Labour has the narrow edge but there is no guarantee.
What’s more, Elaine Williams’ Reform UK party attempted to pull general support away from the Conservative vote.
But Mr Street looks to have recouped that vote share through heavy personal messaging and stands a chance here.
The mayoralty chairs the West Midlands Combined Authority and covers Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Coventry.
Here’s a list of the three candidates the bookies reckon could genuinely win the the West Midlands mayoralty this spring.
Richard Parker – Labour
Mr Parker is priced at 4/6 with betting apps to win this election. Those odds carry a 60% probability.
However, he suffers from very low personal awareness ratings. Forty-nine per cent of voters admit they are ‘not at all’ familiar with the Labour candidate.
His policies are to create 150,000 jobs, create a markets task force for the region’s high streets, and cut road congestion through railway investment.
This all sounds generally positive but voters’ big concern in this election is healthcare, the economy, and housing.
Mr Street has already faced criticism for a long-delayed transport infrastructure project and Mr Parker could suffer the same fate if he doesn’t focus on what voters are primarily worried about.
Andy Street – Conservatives
The incumbent mayor faces an uphill battle to keep his job at 11/10 with Coral. On appearance, he is effectively campaigning as an independent after choosing to scrap all reference to the Tories in his material.
“People are sick and tired of Westminster,” says Mr Street, outlining a fairly standard position for any mayoral candidate seeking to pick up regional votes.
Mr Street is offering to increase social housebuilding to 1,700 a year by 2028, create 400,000 jobs, and boost training in the region. He also plans to turn a viaduct in Digbeth into a “skypark”.
Mr Street arguably has his finger on the West Midlands pulse better than Mr Parker. He’s been in the job since 2017 after all.
However, his Tory brand and a desire for change across the country means he will likely remain an outsider in this betting market.
Siobhan Harper-Nunes – Greens
West Midlands is a battle between Labour and the Conservatives, meaning the likes of Green candidate Siobhan Harper-Nunes are shunted to the sidelines.
The political campaigner is standing on an environmental ticket to tackle climate change and accelerate the scale of change in the region.
She is also a dedicated anti-discrimination campaigner and activist, and sits as vice-chair of the Birmingham Race Impact Group.
Ms Harper-Nunes would likely stand a chance in this election were it not such a fierce battle between candidates from Westminster’s two main parties.
New betting sites think she will be overlooked and price her at 66/1 to win.
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