Pic supplied by Jack Brookes
After leapfrogging the Conservatives into second place in the 2024 General Election, Reform UK parliamentary candidate Jack Brookes wasted no time setting out his agenda as “Erdington’s official opposition” and believes the 7,775 people who declared for him deserve representation in the Erdington political arena.
He told Erdington Local: “Winning second place might have been the end of the General Election but it has signalled the start of being responsible for being the official opposition in Erdington. I have been given a mandate to hold our MP to account and I aim to do that for the next five years.
“The General Election proved people want something else besides the two main parties who are too similar and both lost votes this time round. As well as reflecting the views of Reform UK voters, I am hoping my successes will inspire those from my own generation to get involved in politics.
“This election raised so many issues which residents are struggling with. Law and order must be number one; people are sick of rising crime but also of the complete lack of policing. In Erdington, if you are burgled but manage to collect the evidence and find the culprit you could give it to the police, and they will do nothing.
He added: “Secondly, the local economy is just totally broken; businesses are going to the wall and jobs are hard to find. And the benefits system seems to exist to fund HMOs and deter people from work; I will be looking at job clubs and doing everything to make it worth working.”
“I know people are angry, and my generation are starting to realise the system is broken and we will have to be ones to change it.
“I believe in ungovernable disobedience; they want us to stop using cash, well use cash at the pub. They want to control our food supply, then grow your own vegetables and get some chickens.
“We can challenge the system and change where we live, and a movement is growing.”
For more on Jack Brookes from Reform UK visit www.reformparty.uk/birmingham-erdington-constituency