WEST Midlands Mayoral Conservative candidate Andy Street is kicking off his official campaign in Halesowen with an American style "town-hall" meeting.

Voters will be able to quiz the mayoral hopeful at the Street on the Road event at Hasbury Conservative Club, Blackberry Lane on Monday, February 6.

Mr Street has promised to meet as many voters as he can in the four months before the Thursday, May 4 vote.

He said: “The elected mayor will have powers over transport, skills, jobs and housing and be responsible for representing the West Midlands nationally and internationally, in a similar manner to the Mayor of London.

“It is therefore a great opportunity for us all. We need to seize the moment, because the West Midlands matters."

He added: “But the public’s view of career politicians is at an all-time low, not helped by politicians being distant and often out of touch.

“This is why I want to bring the mayoralty to each area, starting in Halesowen, in a new form of accessible politics.

Once elected, the mayor will have powers over transport, skills and housing.

Mr Street has pledged to eliminate youth unemployment in the region during in his first three years and secure the funding to fix the Birchley Island bottleneck in Oldbury.

Mr Street said: “In a way, however, it’s about going back to some of the old-fashioned principles – the ‘town hall’ approach of our predecessors and even of the American founders.

“After working in retail all my life, I appreciate how leaders have to know what customers want. It should be similar between political leaders and the voters.

“This is why I am literally taking this campaign on the road. I will tour the region tirelessly, listening, explaining and laying out my plans."

He added: “Anybody is welcome to attend and put me on the spot with questions – the more probing the better.

“I will be here, in the West Midlands, meeting as many people as possible, hearing their views, ideas and their aspirations. I’m relishing this.

“This ‘new politics’ will continue after May – I will continue to be accessible and transparent in this way as part of my mayorship.”

Sion Simon MEP is Labour's candidate in the battle to be mayor, businesswoman Beverley Nielsen is standing for the Liberal Democrats and Sandwell's Pete Durrell is standing for UKIP.