Richard Parker, the Labour candidate, has caused a political earthquake after being elected as the next West Midlands Mayor after a close campaign, defeating Andy Street. The pair were neck-and-neck throughout the count, as expected, and there was a full recount of the Coventry ballot. In the end, just over a thousand votes – or 0.2% – separated them after 600,000 voters took part in Thursday’s election. Throughout his campaign, Street had emphasised his personal brand and record, and sought to distance himself from the Conservative Party’s national performance. The two previous mayoral...…Richard Parker, the Labour candidate, has caused a political earthquake after being elected as the next West Midlands Mayor after a close campaign, defeating Andy Street. The pair were neck-and-neck throughout the count, as expected, and there was a full recount of the Coventry ballot. In the end, just over a thousand votes – or 0.2% – separated them after 600,000 voters took part in Thursday’s election. Throughout his campaign, Street had emphasised his personal brand and record, and sought to distance himself from the Conservative Party’s national performance. The two previous mayoral...WW…