Labour peer Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya has implictly endorsed Conservative Andy Street’s campaign to become West Midlands Mayor. Asked by the Coventry Telegraph who he was backing in the forthcoming mayoral election, Warwick Manufacturing Group chairman Bhattacharyya said:

“Well, you know, Andy is here. We have invited the others 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. I think you will have to speculate for yourself.”

The slap in the face for Siôn Simon shows that even Labour-backing captains of industry want a Tory West Midlands mayor…