Words by Erdington Local editorial team
On Thursday 4 July, voters across the country will be taking to the polls to elect their members of Parliament, and in turn the government.
Birmingham Erdington, a traditionally strong Labour seat, will see seven candidates contesting in the 2024 General Election. Four men and three women from across the political spectrum will be competing for votes to become Erdington’s representative in Westminster.
The Birmingham Erdington parliamentary constituency includes the political wards of Erdington, Stockland Green, Pype Hayes, Perry Common, Kingstanding, Castle Vale, and since the boundary changes in 2023 parts of Oscott.
Shaukat Ali (Independent), Farzana Ann Aslam (Liberal Democrats), Jack Brookes (Reform UK), Paulette Hamilton (Labour), Steve Knee (Conservatives), Karen Trench (Green Party), and Corinthia Ward (Trade Union and Socialist Coalition) are the candidates.
Erdington has been in Labour’s hands since 1936. The constituency’s current MP, Paulette Hamilton, who won the by-election in 2022 after the death of previous MP Jack Dromey, will likely be confident of keeping the constituency red.
Ms Hamilton, a former Birmingham City Council cabinet member, told Erdington Local: “Erdington is not just a place on the map for me, each corner is a chapter of my life.
“For over 35 years, it’s where I have raised my family and served with pride as a governor at Yenton Primary School.
“It’s where my journey as a nurse began with training in Kingstanding, before dedicating 25 years to our beloved NHS.
“Erdington is where I was elected as its Member of Parliament, it has shaped who I am today. I’m proud to call it my home and will continue to fight for the services local people deserve.”
But the Erdington Ward has two popular and longstanding Conservative councillors, which bring the Tories some goodwill in the area and potentially turn voters who have become disillusioned with Birmingham’s ruling Labour party after the city’s financial crisis
However, this year’s General Election will be the first since 2010 that Cllr Robert Alden – who is also leader of the Birmingham Conservatives and lives in the heart of Erdington – is not standing for the Conservatives. Instead, Derbyshire businessman Steve Knee has been campaigning for Birmingham Erdington since being voted in as the Conservatives Parliamentary candidate in March.
Mr Knee told: “Whilst out on the campaign trail in recent weeks, including during the successful by-election win in Kingstanding, I have met some terrific residents who are all clearly proud of their constituency and frustrated at the tax increases and service cuts coming from the Labour controlled Birmingham City Council.
“It is clear that good local representation is essential for residents of Erdington, Kingstanding, and Castle Vale.
“As such my priorities are to: Work with the terrific team of Conservative councillors in the constituency to stand up against council tax rises and crippling cuts to local services.”
Competing to be Erdington’s MP for the second time is Jack Brookes for Reform UK. The 25-year-old Libertarian will be hoping to benefit from Nigel Farage re-entering the political stage and resuming leadership of Reform UK, previously the Brexit Party.
One of the three Parliamentary candidates who lives in the constituency, Mr Brookes believes Birmingham needs a dose of law and order.
Mr Brookes told Erdington Local: “We need a crackdown on crime. It’s holding us back. When we bring back law and order then people will be able to thrive and standards of living will increase exponentially. The right to self-defense is absolute!
“Birmingham is the definition of anarcho-tyranny thanks to Labour and the Tories.”
He added: “Freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I will put my life on the line for these things. As long as you are not hurting anyone you should live your life how you see fit. These are what our ancestors fought and died for.”
Qualified barrister and Surrey based councillor Farzana Aslam has been chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Birmingham Erdington seat, despite being based over 100 miles from the city of a thousand trades.
Boasting a formidable CV, with degrees from Oxford and the London School of Economics, Ms Aslam has worked for NGOs, taught in Hong Kong, and is currently a director for a management consultancy.
Ms Aslam said: “I have a long history of voluntary work for NGO’s and charities specialising in social justice issues and am an active campaigner on local community issues relating to healthcare, the environment and local planning.
“I am not a career politician. I am relatively new to politics but driven by a deep desire to change the state our country is in.
“Birmingham Erdington is a community rich in diversity and history, but it is facing significant challenges that need urgent attention.”
George Galloway’s Workers Party is not fielding a candidate in Erdington. However, left wing voters do have an alternative to the Labour Party.
Trade Union and Socialist Coalition candidate Corinthia Ward also stood in the 2022 local elections for the Erdington Ward, garnering 95 votes.
Ms Ward said: “Growing up in Erdington, I can see first-hand the impact of Tory austerity and Labour council cuts on our community.
“In standing on a platform of anti-cuts and anti-war, I will work with local residents, trade unions and public sector staff to fight for the services and funding we need. Money can be found for bombs and dodgy PPE deals, but not for our streets or our youth.
She added: “This is why we need someone in Westminster who will raise the voice of ordinary workers while also linking it to the need for a new mass worker’s party in the interests of the many.”
The Green Party is also contesting the Birmingham Erdington seat in the 2024 General Election, flying the flag for those concerned about the environment and climate change.
With clean air zones and low traffic neighbourhoods coming under attack from other parties, their Parliamentary candidate Karen Trench will be defending environmentally friendly policies whilst demanding bolder action.
Ms Trench, a former Perry Barr Liberal Democrat councillor (2004-2018), won more than 9,000 votes in the 2010 General Election when she stood for the Perry Barr constituency and came second to Labour’s Khalid Mahmood. However, this will be her first election standing for the Green Party.
She said: “I am passionate about environmental and community issues. I am proud to call Birmingham my home, but I have seen the decline in the area over successive governments. We need to see real change in our community and investment into services. I am appalled by the cuts to youth services.
“I am standing for the Green Party as they have the right policies to tackle the major issues in our society such as climate change, homelessness and the cost of living crisis.”
Telford based Dr Shaukat Ali is standing as an independent. The pro-Palestine candidate is hoping to attract voters with the mainstream parties’ stance on the Israel/Gaza conflict.
Dr Ali said: “Britain is in a state of decay. Enough is enough. Who is to blame? Just ask yourself which two parties have governed the UK for the past 100 years and you will find an answer. What they offer is not change, but their turn. Do your bit to remould British politics for the common good, not the few.”
He added: “Let’s reset our moral compass. Tens of thousands of innocent women and children are being bombed, killed and starved in Palestine, yet the main parties are silent. Your MP even voted against a ceasefire.”
To find out more on the Parliamentary candidates across the country standing for the 4 July 2025 General Election, and to locate your nearest polling station, visit www.whocanivotefor.co.uk
