(Ed’s note… this column was written for the January/February Erdington Local newspaper and first published on 20.01.26)
Words by Erdington Ward Cllr Robert Alden – Leader of Birmingham Conservatives
With the winter weather, Cllr Gareth Moore and I have been checking on grit bins and reporting empty ones for refilling in case the cold weather returns. We’ve also been challenging the Council to fix the potholes now in our local area.
This month has also seen the revelations that another Birmingham Labour politician has been revealed to have connections to HMO’s and Exempt Accommodation.
They’re not the only one.
This is why Labour keep voting against attempts to stop badly run exempt accommodation.
When Labour are not voting down attempts to tackle badly run exempt accommodation, they are buying up family homes to turn into supported accommodation. Last year the Labour Council bought 100s of houses in Erdington and Birmingham, using taxpayer’s money to outbid local residents trying to get on the housing ladder.
Only backing Birmingham Local Conservatives and kicking Labour out in May’s elections will give Birmingham a chance to stop the growth in badly run exempt accommodation.
Neither Cllr Gareth Moore and I, nor our families, have ever owned exempt accommodation or HMO’s. Sadly, this is not true for many Birmingham Labour politicians. Worse, they consistently refuse to be honest about it.
As other parties come out of the woodwork, with the City Council elections approaching in May, make sure you ask any candidates that you see to put in writing whether they or their family own or have ever owned HMO’s and Exempt Accommodation.
For more from Erdington’s Councillor Robert Alden and Councillor Gareth Moore visit www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews
