What will Andy Street do next?
- Published
Andy Street said he was "gutted" to lose his role as mayor
With his dramatic defeat in the West Midlands mayoral election still sinking in on Saturday, Andy Street briefly pondered his future.
"I'm just going to take time to reflect," he told the BBC, external. "On Monday, I shall be up Cadair Idris in Wales and I'm really looking forward to that."
A thank-you message, external posted on Monday suggested he'd not contemplated much beyond his hike in the Welsh mountains - even if plenty of others had.
"In fact it seems many of you already have my next move planned out before I've even thought about it!," he wrote.
So what is being said about his next move?
Westminster calling?
With a general election expected this year, the Conservative Party is looking for parliamentary candidates.
In the West Midlands, there are vacancies in several constituencies, including Solihull West and Shirley.
Solihull was one of the seven council districts where votes were cast in the mayoral election, and Mr Street won there by a large margin.
Would being an MP appeal to Mr Street?
Conservative Andy Street lost to Labour's Richard Parker by about 1,500 votes
"I don't think he'd fancy being an MP," one Tory MP told me. "Being an MP would probably frustrate him, having been in control of such a big area."
Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said being a mayor "with a big budget, power, influence and agency is very different to being a backbencher".
"I'm not sure it would be easy for someone like Andy Street, who is used to getting things done."
Even so, his record as mayor has turned heads in the Conservative Party.
As the party reflects on its heavy losses in local elections, some Tory MPs have been framing Mr Street's defeat as a chink of light in a black horizon.
In the mayoral race, Mr Street wore his Conservative affiliation lightly, and pinned his campaign on his personal brand.
In the end, he lost by about 1,500 votes to Labour's Richard Parker.
"That is a heck of an achievement given current circumstances and shows that his brand of non-ideological Conservatism has got a lot to offer," one Tory figure told me.
That brand has even inspired a Spectator article, external with an eye-catching title: "Could Andy Street be a future Tory leader?"
Top Tory
The morning after the mayoral election, Mr Street received an endorsement from an unexpected source on social media.
"Is it too far fetched to think that Andy Street - a genuinely nice guy - could be leader of the Conservative Party in six months time?" Labour's former deputy leader Tom Watson wrote.
He added, external: "He's head and shoulders above the current runners and riders and Labour folk like him."
Rishi Sunak didn't featured in Andy Street's mayoral re-election campaign
Don't forget, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has insisted he can lead the party to victory in the next general election and beyond this year.
But if Mr Sunak falls short, would there be appetite for a new Tory leader in the mould of Mr Street?
"Given the drift of the Conservative Party towards the populist right, it wouldn't seem the ideal pick for leader," said Professor Bale.
He said if the Conservatives lose the next two general elections, "they might be looking for a more moderate centrist like Andy Street".
"But at the moment, they're probably looking for a culture warrior."
Back to business
Before he entered politics, Mr Street had a successful career in retail and was managing director of John Lewis and Partners.
As mayor, he worked with many businesses as he sought to bring investment into the West Midlands and upskill the region's workforce.
The Centre for the New Midlands hosted events that brought together businesses and Mr Street and the think tank's founder, Chris Smith, suggested the former mayor was "more likely to get back into the corporate world".
It's common for former politicians to take up jobs as business advisers - and they can make a lot of money in doing so. If they're high profile enough, they can also earn large sums by speaking at events.
"It wouldn't surprise me if he got an offer to be the chancellor at the university, and backed it up with a portfolio of business directorships," Mr Smith said.
A Tory MP told me if Mr Street wanted to dip into politics and business, the House of Lords would be the best place for him. Though only prime ministers can nominate peers.
With a fresh start awaiting him after his rambling trip in Wales, Mr Street will have plenty of time to consider which path to walk.
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