Labour's Richard Parker is new West Midlands mayor

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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer addressed the media at the count, flanked by the new mayor and dozens of supporters.He said of the weekend's elections: "We started in Blackpool with a 26% swing. We've ended in the West Midlands with our new man Richard Parker as the West Midlands mayor.

"The way we went about it in the West Midlands really, really matters. The Tories felt that they were entitled to victory here, that they could use Andy Street as a crutch for Rishi Sunak's weak leadership, and they didn't have to be in touch with the priorities of the people."

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Andy Street thanked election staff and his political opponents, his campaign team and those who voted for him.

He wished Mr Parker "all strength and wisdom" as he takes over the reins.

He said: "It has been my honour to serve and to lead this place for the last seven years.

"I hope I've done it with dignity and integrity and I hope I've bequeathed to Richard a combined authority - and indeed a role - to which young, aspiring leaders will want to aspire one day."

Mr Parker began his speech by thanking polling staff for their work.

He also had some warm words for his political rival, Andy Street.

"You've led this region through a number of great challenges," he said of Mr Street, adding: "you deserve great credit for that."

He continued: "You deserve credit through building up the combined authority into the powerhouse it is today, through the economic shocks and for leading this region when it came out of covid.

"You've been out there representing our region.

"I absolutely believe that whilst our politics are different, Andy, we both have the best interests of the West Midlands at heart."

Richard Parker told the crowd at Birmingham's ICC: "This is the most important thing I will ever do.

"This week people voted for the person and the party. They recognised that a Labour mayor can make a positive difference in this region."

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Here are the full results from the West Midlands mayoral contest:

• Siobhan Harper-Nunes, Green Party – 31,036
• Richard Parker, Labour – 225,590
• Andy Street, Conservative – 224,082
• Sunny Virk, Liberal Democrats – 12,176
• Elaine Williams, Reform UK – 34,471
• Akhmed Yakoob, Independent – 69,621

Total rejected ballots: 4,757

A photographer from the PA news agency has snapped Labour candidate Richard Parker reviewing some paperwork at Birmingham's International Convention Centre.

Could this be his victory speech?

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Smiling Labour MPs and campaigners are gathering in the hall to listen to the declaration.

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Our reporters at the count believe there has been some sort of "technical" delay, which has meant the result has not yet been announced.

But the candidates have just been summoned to a media area to review the results.

A Conservative source in the Midlands with good knowledge of the campaign tells me: "It was never going to end well, as the campaign was a mess.

"Literature arriving late, activists only turning up for photos. Too much hubris and arrogance, assuming we'd win 'because it's Andy'.

"Good, experienced people not consulted, brought in or engaged. I'm gutted, the West Midlands is screwed."

The media team have assembled near the stage.

We've been told the rules of engagement for interviews, so it can't be long now.

Senior people in the Labour party are saying they've won, but only by a thousand votes or so - that's a tiny margin.

Labour MP Liam Byrne has posted a picture of himself cheering alongside Richard Parker, the party's candidate in the West Midlands, to social media.

Byrne is a long-standing MP and represents the Birmingham constituency of Hodge Hill.

A sign of growing confidence in the Labour camp?

Liam ByrneCopyright: Liam Byrne

Jess Phillips in fine form. Asked why everyone had come back through to the hall she says she has no idea. “Somebody literally walked in and then everybody walked in,” she says. “We’re easily led, clearly.”

Labour councillor for the Whoberley ward in Coventry, Jayne Innes, says she is pretty confident Mr Parker has clinched it.

"Perhaps unsurprisingly there are more Labour members than Conservatives down here at the moment," says our reporter.

Labour appear to believe they have won the West Midlands mayoral contest.

It's certainly all smiles for Birmingham MPs Jess Phillips and Shabana Mahmood.

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With Sandwell the last local authority to declare in the West Midlands mayoral contest, Labour need to win Sandwell by at least 11,456 votes.

In the last contest, Labour were 5,171 votes ahead of the Conservatives. So all now turns on whether Labour can win over 3,143 Conservative votes into their camp.

Our modelling of the results so far suggests Labour may well achieve this.

Our reporters at the count tell us Labour appears increasingly confident.

The party's contingent has been seen making thumbs-up gestures, and appears to look more 'chipper' than earlier in the day.