The veteran boss of John Lewis, Andy Street CBE stepped down from running the department chain after 30 years, when he was selected as a candidate by Conservative party, for West Midlands Mayoral election, to be held on 4 May 2017. In a readership survey by Trinity Mirror, it showed that Tory's Andy Street and Labour’s Sion Simon MEP each look set to get 33% of first preference votes, though one has to secure more than 50% votes to win. The poll also predicts that Simon may get ahead of Andy in the long run, but one is hopeful that the current state of Labour party may act on his favour. “The only poll that matters is on election day,” he told Asian Voice. “I got this critical opportunity to serve West Midlands, and I decided I will not turn my back on it.”
On a telephone interview, he explained how the British Asian community has been absolutely instrumental to the growth of Midlands' economy. Speaking to Asian Voice exclusively Andy said, “I have interacted with the Asian community in this region- in Gurdwaras, Hindu temples, Mosques. The role of the business and professional community are absolutely critical, and what we see here is an incredible successful Asian community.”
Andy voted for Remain, in the EU referendum but now believes that Brexit provides an opportunity as well as a challenge, and if he wins this election, he plans to provide London with the support it would need to flourish as the City may take a hit. He is an active spokesperson for the businesses on high street, and feels his previous role as a department chain head poses no threat to his current stand. Incidentally, West Midlands is the only area with a trade surplus with China, partly driven by exports from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
Andy recently made a short trip to India and met with Dr Mukund Rajan, Tata Group's Head of International Operations and Chief Ethics Officer in Mumbai (the parent company of the JLR) to discuss about the recent decision of building Velar Land Rover exclusively in Solihull. He ensured the group that he has already lobbied with the Government over the need to commit to providing solutions to the energy requirements of the company and to allowing the safe testing of driverless vehicles.
Andy said: “Jaguar Land Rover has been one of the West Midlands’ economic success stories, driving our job creation and export success, as well as providing a major boost for large and small companies across the supply chain.
“It’s one of the key reasons the wider West Midlands has a trade surplus with China and the announcement this week about the Velar is another important shot in the arm.
“So far, the relationship between economic partners – LEPs, local authorities, universities and politicians – has been excellent and our collective ambition has matched JLR’s.
“Nevertheless, we recognise some of the issues around infrastructure and skills in the region and how that impacts on the ambitions of JLR and their owners. We know we need to tackle these so investors continue to drive the economic renaissance of the West Midlands.
“This is the very fabric of my campaign to be Mayor of the West Midlands.”
During the two-day visit, Andy met with business leaders in Pakistan and India, to continue to develop economic relations between the two regions.
“The cultural and economic links between the West Midlands and India and Pakistan are clear but we don’t do nearly enough to exploit them,” Andy said. “I am keen that as Mayor we seek to develop the trade opportunities between us.
But the recent terror incidents stemming from Midlands have earned the region a damaging name, which Andy fighting against calling it a 'misappropriate labelling'. He told the newspaper, while most of the minority communities have well integrated, but there are regions where part of the communities are not doing well economically, and therefore getting radicalised.
“The Mayor needs to stand up and tell the truth. This area has a very good record of integration. But we do have some extremism here and Mayor's job is to be robust- no turning blind eye to extremism for examples in schools. We need education, tolerance and understanding,” he said.
He added, “a weak economy and poverty is always dangerous for a region's development, especially in case of community integration,” and as a Mayor, if elected, he promises to ensure that the wealth is spread out evenly, so that no community misses out on it, making West Midlands the success story it ought to be.
