Labour peer and WMG founder endorses Andy Street as mayor

WMG founder and Labour peer Kumar Bhattarchayya seemingly endorsed Andy Street, the then-candidate for the Conservative Party in the run up to the mayoral elections which took place last Thursday.

Lord Bhattarchayya met with Mr Street at a private reception hosted at the University’s Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) the week before. Also present were government business minister Greg Clark and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) chief executive Ralf Speth.

At the private meeting, which was followed by a public Q&A inside the WMG building, the group discussed the forthcoming elections as well as plans to expand JLR in Coventry. These plans have also seen recent support from the Prime Minister in an exclusive Telegraph editorial, which praised JLR as a “jewel in the crown of the British economy.”

When asked about his thoughts on the upcoming elections, Lord Bhattarcharyya told the Coventry Telegraph: “We have invited the others [mayoral candidates] as well. The university is neutral.”

“But the fact is Andy is here and the secretary of state is here and my output is here, so I think you will have to speculate for yourself.”

The Labour Peer is a key figure within the West Midlands and Coventry industrial community due to his links between academia and the automotive sector, alongside his close ties with JLR owners Tata Steel.

Mr Street, who became the first person to take on the office of West Midlands mayor, won a very narrow victory over Labour rival Sion Simon, who was reportedly excluded from the private WMG talks.

Mr Street stated that he “categorically” supported the drive to establish Coventry as the UK’s new leader in the motor industry. He added: “We want electric vehicles to be produced here in Coventry rather than in Stuttgart or Detroit.”

“It’s about the testing, the infrastructure to support that and making sure our innovation centres get the best possible support.”

Warwick Director of Press and Policy Peter Dunn confirmed that Warwick maintained a neutral stance in the local elections as well as the upcoming national ballots. He added that two other former candidates had also visited the WMG since Andy Street, and that the University had organized a hustings for all the candidates in Coventry Cathedral.

In the past, the University has also been visited by government ministers and opposition leaders, including Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Blair prior to the 1997 election.

Mr Dunn commented on the relationship between JLR and Warwick: “Hundreds of Warwick students are actually on apprenticeship degrees funded by JLR and many others are on funded PhDs and other degrees.”

“Other Warwick students, particularly in engineering, benefit from teaching by research-active staff working with JLR and using the very latest technology in their research and teaching as a consequence of our partnerships with JLR and other companies.”

He added that the company also provides career opportunities across a range of disciplines.