The boss of retail giant is set to enter the battle to become the first-ever elected mayor of the West Midlands.
Brummie businessman Andy Street, managing director of the upmarket retailer, is to apply to become the candidate, the Birmingham Mail has learned.
He was educated at King Edward鈥檚 School in the city and is chairman of the Greater Birmingham Local Enterprise Partnership, a Government-backed body led by the region鈥檚 businesses to boost the economy.
Voters in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell, Solihull and Wolverhampton go to the polls in May 2017 to elect the region鈥檚 first mayor as part of the Government鈥檚 attempts to hand more power to English regions.
Labour has launched its contest to find a candidate with a ballot of party members who are choosing between West Midlands MEP Sion Simon, a former Birmingham MP, and former Birmingham councillor Steve Bedser.
In an article for the Birmingham Post newspaper, Mr Street sets out a vision for the region in a time of 鈥減olitical turbulence鈥 and 鈥渄isruption鈥 following the Brexit vote.
He argues that the strength of the region鈥檚 businesses, new infrastructure and the 鈥渃reativity and innovative nature鈥 of its young population put the West Midlands in a position to 鈥渆merge as a victor from this time of change鈥.
And following speculation that a future government could reconsider building HS2, the planned high speed rail line linking London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, he says that regional leaders must make it a priority to ensure the line goes ahead.
Mr Street said: 鈥淣ow is not the time to doubt HS2. Our job as regional leaders is to press firmly on with our plans for delivering its transformational potential.鈥
The planned rail line was already leading to improvements to central Birmingham and encouraging the development of new industry, he said.
鈥淚t is already happening and having an effect on our economy. Jobs are already being enjoyed at the construction headquarters here at Snowhill, the National College for High Speed Rail is being built at Eastside, and across the region companies are already tendering for work.鈥
Mr Street said the West Midlands had survived the 2008 economic crash and could do the same again as the 海角视频 entered another period of uncertainty.
No formal announcement of a candidacy bid is expected until the Conservative Party officially begins the process of choosing a candidate.
But Birmingham Conservative MP welcomed the prospect of Mr Street standing. The MP said: 鈥淚f there is the remotest chance of persuading Andy Street to stand as the Conservative candidate for the West Midlands mayoralty then I for one will raise three cheers and the party should bite his hand off.鈥
The Tory candidate is expected to be in place by the time of the annual party conference, which takes place at Birmingham鈥檚 in early October.
Mr Street, aged 53, has been the Managing Director of John Lewis since 2007. The retailer has 46 shops, including a store in Grand Central, Birmingham, which opened in 2015.
He also joined the Department for Communities and Local Government鈥檚 board in January 2016 as an adviser to Greg Clark, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Mr Street was a member of the Conservative Association while a student at Oxford University. He is a fan of Aston Villa.
The West Midlands mayor will take responsibility for bus services and a road network. They are also expected eventually to take responsibility for some local rail services.
They will also take over the work of the Homes and Communities Agency, taking responsibility for increasing the housing supply and making public land available for housing.
And they will lead the Combined Authority, which has a 拢36.5 million-a-year infrastructure budget, responsibility for adult education and more.
In practice, however, whoever takes on the job for the first time is likely to help to shape it based on what they believe a mayor should be doing for the region. They are also likely to push central government to grant them further formal powers.
Watch: Prime Minister David Cameron explains why the West Midlands and other big regions need a mayor
