Tag: Jack Dromey MP for Erdington

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NEWS: Two more charged with Dea-John Reid murder as police search for car that “could be crucial to the investigation.”

Words by Ed King / Pic of Dea-John Reid supplied by family – pic of car by West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police have charged a further two people over the murder of Kingstanding teenager, Dea-John Reid.

George Khan, 38, from Newstead Road in Kingstanding, will appear at Birmingham Magistrate Count today – alongside a 14-year-old boy who has also been charged with Dea-John’s murder.

Michael Shields, 35, from Alvis Walk in Castle Bromwich, was charged earlier this week and is now in prison on remand.

As officers continue to examine the horrific attack, which saw 14-year-old Dea John Reid fatally stabbed after being chased by a gang of men and boys on 31 May, West Midlands Police are looking for a car they believe “could be crucial to the investigation.”

It is believed the offenders arrived and left the scene at around 7.30pm in a dark blue VW Golf with the registration number TN07 GBR.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Mobberley from the West Midlands Police Homicide Unit, said: “We really need to trace this VW Golf and I would urge anyone who believes they have seen the car or knows of its whereabouts to get in touch.

“It could be crucial to the investigation so if anyone has any information please message us or call.

“People can call anonymously, we don’t need their names, just information.

“We are pursuing all lines of enquiry to find anyone else involved in Dea-John’s tragic death and anyone who has information should contact us.”

As anger and sadness washes over Kingstanding, Bishop Desmond Jaddoo has been calling for calm following reports of racial abuse towards Dea-John before the murder.

The Shine-a-Light candle lit vigil has been organsied for 8:30pm Sunday 6 June, outside the MacDonalds on College Road where the fatal stabbing took place – to bring a grieving community together and heal “whatever divisions we may have.”

Bishop Jaddoo told Erdington Local: “It is important at this time that we focus on the fact a young 14-year-old boy, with his life ahead of him, has been tragically taken.

“At this time, his family are in mourning and let’s focus on healing our community and whatever divisions we may have.

“The Shine-a-Light memorial vigil, taking place this Sunday at the spot where Dea-John lost his life, is important – for us to stand together, in unity and as a community.”

West Midlands Police will also be sending officers to Dea-John’s school, Harborne Academy, once students return after the half term holiday.

A Go Fund page has now been set up to support Dea-John’s family with funeral costs and ‘associated expenses in laying Dea-John to rest’.

To visit the online fundraiser visit:  https://gofund.me/3310a53d

Bishop Jaddoo has been running the Yes2Life campaign alongside Majid Khan, to challenge gun and knife crime across the city. Bishop Jaddoo brought the first bleed control kit to Erdington, installed at The Gravevine off-licence on Hawthorn Road, Kingstanding, in October 2020.

A further bleed control kit was installed at The Juicy Joint on Coton Rd, off Erdington High Street, earlier this year – following support from Scarlett Lewis, mother of 6 year old Jessie Lewis who was shot and killed in the Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut.

Bishop Desmond Jaddoo with Joan Reid, mother of murdered schoolboy Dea-John Reid

Anyone who can help West Midlands Police with their investigation should contact them urgently via Live Chat on www.west-midlands.police.uk

Alternatively, people can call West Midlands Police on 101 – quoting log 3313 of 31/5.

For more information about bleed control kits and the work being done by Bishop Desmond Jaddoo visit www.desjaddoo.org.uk

For more about the Yes2Life campaign visit www.yes2life.co.uk

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NEWS: Castle Bromwich man charged with murder of 14-year-old Dea-John Reid

Words by Ed King / Pics by Jobe Baker Sullivan – pic of Dea-John Reid supplied by West Midlands Police

A man has been formally charged with the murder of 14-year-old Kingstanding teenager, Dea-John Reid, who was stabbed on College Road on Monday 31 May.

Michael Shields, 35, from Alvis Walk in Castle Bromwich, will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court this morning.

Dea-John’s family is being supported by a specialist Family Liaison Officer and have formally identified him as the victim.

The 14-year-old is understood to have been chased by a group at around 7.30pm on 31 May, before being stabbed on College Road.

He collapsed in the road and was pronounced dead at the scene despite emergency services administering advanced life support; a post mortem examination confirmed he died from a stab wound to his chest,

6 people were arrested on Tuesday 1 June, following an “immediate investigation” from West Midlands Police Homicide team which made “rapid progress”.

Investigating officers “flooded” Kingstanding looking for Dea-John’s killers, conducting interviews and scouring CCTV footage from across the area.

In a statement from West Midlands Police following the arrests on Tuesday, the force confirmed they were able  to “identify the people we believe responsible for the shocking attack.”

“All six were arrested within the space of a few hours this afternoon following the fatal stabbing last night (31 May) of the 14-year-old in Kingstanding.

“A man aged 33 was arrested from an address in Kingstanding at 3.35pm followed by a 13-year-old boy who was detained in the Walsall area.

“Another man aged 38 and a 14-year-old boy were arrested from a vehicle in Cheshire while two men, aged 36 and 35, surrendered to separate police stations in the West Midlands.”

Castle Bromwich man, Michael Shields, will be processed at Birmingham Magistrate Court this morning.

A 38-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy remain in custody for questioning today.

Two men, aged 36 and 33, and a 13-year-old boy have been released with no further action.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Mobberley said: “This is a significant step forward in our investigation, but we are still pursuing all lines of enquiry to find anyone else involved in Dea-John’s tragic death.

“We are looking at all the circumstances which led up to the events of Monday evening and anyone who has information should contact us.”

Anyone who can help West Midlands Police with their investigation should contact them urgently via Live Chat on www.west-midlands.police.uk

Alternatively, people can call West Midlands Police on 101 – quoting log 3313 of 31/5.

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NEWS: Murder investigation “immediately launched” and making “rapid progress” after fatal stabbing of Kingstanding teenager

Words by Ed King / Pics by Jobe Baker Sullivan

Shockwaves were felt across Kingstanding, following the fatal stabbing of a teenager on College Road last night.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called out after a 14-year-old boy was found “in critical condition” at 7.35pm on Monday 31 May – with two ambulances, a paramedic officer, a MERIT Trauma doctor and critical care paramedic arriving within five minutes of the 999 call.

Despite efforts from emergency services, who administered advanced life support, the boy was confirmed dead at the scene.

A murder investigation was “immediately launched” by West Midlands Police, who “flooded the area with officers to search for the offenders” – asking for information from members of the public and looking through local CCTV footage.

Detective Inspector Ranj Sangha, from West Midlands Homicide Unit, said: “This is a shocking and senseless tragedy. Another young life has been taken far too soon.

“We have officers with the boy’s family who are facing the cruellest of news this evening. My heart goes out to them.

“We will be leaving no stone unturned in our hunt for the callous individuals responsible for this, or for anyone harbouring them, knowing what they have done.”

Reports from West Midlands Police told of an attack taking place on the junction of College Road and with Wardour Grove around 7.30pm, “by up to seven offenders, who ran off towards Chester Road.”

A further statement from West Midlands Police, stating they are making “rapid progress” in the investigation, described the attack in more detail.

“The youngster is believed to have been chased on College Road in Kingstanding by a number of people in the direction of McDonald’s.

“He is then believed to have been stabbed by one of the youths. He collapsed into the road and was pronounced dead a short time later.”

Following the murder, local residents were shocked that such brutality could happen on a busy thoroughfare in what are still daylight hours.

Ogenna, who lives on Broomhill Road, told Erdington Local: “I’ve been living here for 10 years and never heard of anybody dying so close to hear.

“Scenes like this… I’ve never witnessed.

“Perry Common has been a very quiet area, a good place to raise children. It’s unfortunate this is happening. Perry Common as a village does not have this – this must have come from out the Perry Common enclave”.

Bishop Desmond Jaddo has been working with the Yes2Life campaign to bring bleed control kits to Kingstanding, installing the area’s first zero responder unit at The Grapevine Off Licence on Hawthorn Road in October last year – in a campaign closely followed by Erdington Local.

Supporting the family of the murdered teenager last night, Bishop Jaddoo told Erdington Local:

“It’s heartbreaking that yet another mother is grieving for the loss of her son, a 14-year-old lad who had his life ahead of him will now leave an empty school chair in a classroom next week.

“But we cannot give up in our mission in a proactive and joint approach in the fight against knife and gun crime, including weapons bins and bleed control kits.

“Our city has seen too many families torn apart – I would urge the Police and Crimes Commissioner to show clear and strategic leadership on the issue.”

MP for Erdington, Jack Dromey, added: “I was deeply shocked and saddened by the news that a 14-year-old young man was stabbed to death on College Road in Kingstanding last night.

“I’d like to offer my sincere condolences to the family of the victim and I am offering them every support.

“Going forward, we need a renewed focus on the growing problem of knife crime in our city. We are losing too many lives to violent crime and we must ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

“In addition, we also need to tackle the root causes of these incidents of appalling violence that are blighting local communities to prevent more families losing loved ones.”

Anyone who can help West Midlands Police with their investigation should contact them urgently via Live Chat on https://west-midlands.police.uk/

Alternatively, people can call West Midlands Police on 101 – quoting log 3313 of 31/5.

For more on Yes2Life, including the work they do challenging knife and gun crime, visit www.yes2life.co.uk

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NEWS: GKN Automotive confirm closure of Chester Road factory – rejecting rescue plan from Unite and Erdington MP

Words by Adam Smith

The owners of GKN Automotive in Erdington have confirmed the factory will definitely close with the loss of 519 jobs.

Melrose Industries rejected a rescue plan brokered by Unite the Union and Erdington MP Jack Dromey to save the factory.

A Melrose spokesman said: “GKN Automotive has fully considered the counter proposals put forward. However, the outlook for the highly competitive automotive market remains unchanged.

“Regretfully, therefore, we are proceeding with our proposal to close the site. Supporting our people continues to be our priority.”

Jack Dromey MP warned the Chester Road plant would be in danger when Melrose forcibly took over the firm in 2018.

As well as the 519 workers at GKN an estimated 1,500 jobs could be at risk in the supply chain of the company, which can trace its history back more than 200 years.

He said: “This decision is devastating for the 519 workers at the Chester Road plant. The workers, supported by the union, Unite, worked tirelessly to produce a comprehensive and detailed alternative plan to closure.

“It is therefore fundamentally wrong that GKN/Melrose have now called time on the consultation process and instead intend to push ahead with closure.

“GKN Chester Road is vital, not just to Erdington and the West Midlands economy but also the whole automotive industry in the UK. If the plant were to close, it would be a betrayal of the 519 workers, of British automotive, and the British national interest.”

He added: “I will therefore be seeking urgent discussions with the Chief Executive of GKN and also the Government, who have publicly indicated their commitment to offer support to allow the plant to remain open.

“The workers at GKN and their union, Unite, are determined to keep the plant open. As their MP, they have my total and unending support.”

Unite national officer for the automotive sector, Des Quinn, said: “Unite calls on all interested parties including central government, local government, the supply chain, customers and GKN Automotive to come together and ensure the factory’s future.

“The UK’s automotive sector needs e-drive suppliers and a sustainable supply chain or the entire UK automotive sector is at risk of collapse.

“GKN Birmingham has the ability to supply the e-drives that the UK’s automotive sector desperately needs, it just needs the vision, support and investment to ensure it has a crucial role to play in the electrification of UK vehicles.”

To find out more about GKN Automotive visit www.gknautomotive.com

For more from Unite the Union visit www.unitetheunion.org

For more from Jack Dromey MP for Erdington visit www.jackdromey.co.uk

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NEWS: Erdington MP backs Covid-19 public inquiry and calls for Matt Hancock to “honour that commitment” and meet with grieving families

Words by Adam Smith

Jack Dromey MP is backing a Castle Vale woman’s demand for a public inquiry into the Government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic – after she lost her father and sister to the virus within a week.

Jane Roche is part of the Bereaved Families for Justice campaign and despite Matt Hancock promising to meet her and other Erdington families last December they have yet to see the Health Secretary.

Government this week ruled out holding a public inquiry in the foreseeable future, despite health experts estimating thousands of lives would have been saved if ministers had heeded warnings last year and implemented the first lockdown earlier.

Mr Dromey raised the complaints of the Bereaved Families for Justice campaign in Parliament and has accused Matt Hancock of avoiding meeting Covid-19 victims’ relatives.

Mr Dromey told Erdington Local: “I know many Erdington families have lost loved ones to Covid-19 and they are desperate for answers as to whether their loved one’s death was preventable.

“When you hear a story like Jane’s, or any of the other members of the campaign, and you hear the pain they have suffered, you want to help them find at least some degree of closure – and that can’t be done until the questions they have are answered.”

He added: “I asked Matt Hancock to meet with families from the West Midlands who have lost loved ones, which he agreed to in Parliament. He must honour that commitment and set a date.

“A public inquiry is so important for another reason, one that I know is so important to the families, to make sure mistakes are never repeated.”

Pressure mounts on the Boris Johnson this week, as leaks about his vocabulary and conduct around the coronavirus crisis continue to make national headlines. Various reports from Whitehall officials have cited the PM as saying he would rather see “bodies pile high” than put England into another lockdown.

Office for National Statistics figures reveal 348 people in Kingstanding, Erdington, and Castle Vale died due to Covid-19 between March 2020 and March 2021.

Jane Roche said: “We are absolutely determined to make sure this public inquiry goes ahead, and it needs to happen as soon as possible. Thousands of grieving families need answers to why we lost our loved ones the way we did.

“Boris Johnson is dragging his heels, but he needs to set a date for the inquiry, it’s the least he can do. He can’t ignore us forever.”

Responding to calls for a public inquiry a Government spokesman said: “An inquiry now is not appropriate.

“The very people who would need to give evidence to an inquiry are working round the clock. It is not anticipated that the government’s workload will ease in the coming months.”

For more on Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice visit: www.covidfamiliesforjustice.org

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccines direct from the NHS visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination

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Mayoral hopeful Liam Byrne MP backs GKN workers – calling proposed Chester Rd closure “unthinkable”

Words by Adam Smith / Pics supplied by the office for Liam Byrne MP

Under-threat workers from Erdington’s GKN Driveline factory held a protest outside the plant’s gates this week.

In February, Melrose Industries announced plans to close the Chester Road site with the loss of 520 jobs – but Unite the Union and local politicians are fighting to keep the factory open.

Labour’s West Midlands Mayoral candidate Liam Byrne MP joined workers on Thursday, calling the closure of GKN Driveline “unthinkable”.

He told Erdington Local: “As a region we need more facilities like GKN in Erdington, not closing them down. I wanted to come to Chester Road to show my solidarity with the workers here. If I am Mayor of the West Midlands in a month’s time, I will be behind everyone at GKN.

“I’m sure they have earmarked the land for housing. But Erdington needs industry, because if you build big housing estates without jobs they will end up being full of unemployed people.”

He added: “We need to leading the way in new green industries, just like Joe Biden is doing in America, and historic industrial infrastructure like GKN should be part of this new economy.

“If elected I will be doing everything to convince owners Melrose to keep these jobs in Erdington.

“We will find a way, a solution to keep this factory open.”

Erdington MP Jack Dromey has been working with Unite the Union to create a business plan to keep the Chester Road factory open.

He said: “These workers are outstanding at what they do and they have been thanked by losing their jobs. There are people here who have worked here for 20 years, people whose family have worked here before them. There are skilled jobs here and they should celebrated not axed.

“Melrose’s representatives said at a House of Commons select committee they would listen to alternatives to closure, and the Government have said they will support an alternative.”

He added: “Melrose need to know they cannot buy a company with 262 years of industrial history and then close down, if they think they will get away with it then they have another thing coming.”

Melrose Industries bought GKN in 2018 in a controversial hostile and promised to keep the Erdington plant open. GKN can trace its history back to the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century and has been at the forefront of engineering in the UK ever since, the Erdington site assembles automotive parts.

Frank Duffy, GKN‘s Unite convenor at the Chester Road plant, said: “We have got more than 500 workers here and we are not giving in. We are not working on the premise that the factory is closing because it makes no sense.

“We have not been given redundancy terms yet which is a good sign the factory can remain open.”

To find out more about GKN Automotive visit www.gknautomotive.com

For more from Unite the Union visit www.unitetheunion.org

For more on Liam Byrne MP visit www.liambyrne.co.uk  

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NEWS: Erdington MP survey reveals “worryingly” high number of care home staff refusing Covid-19 vaccine

Words by Adam Smith

A “worrying” amount of care home staff in Erdington and Kingstanding are refusing to have the Covid-19 vaccine, a recent survey has revealed.

Shockingly 67% of 30 care homes in the constituency questioned by Jack Dromey MP had staff who have decided against having the life-saving jab.

One home reported 23 out of 25 staff refused the vaccine, including the manager. In another 75% of staff turned down the chance to be vaccinated.

The reasons for refusal show widespread misinformation about the vaccine’s side effects including fears of fertility problems or the jab being poisonous.

Mr Dromey said: “The results of my latest care home survey reveal worrying levels of vaccine uptake amongst care home staff.

“The fact that so many staff in care homes across Erdington are refusing the vaccine is deeply concerning. There is a significant risk posed to care home residents in particular who, for one reason or another, are unable to be vaccinated.

“What is also concerning is some of the reasons that were given for refusing the vaccines. Myths such as the vaccine is ‘poisonous’ and it ’causes infertility’ were both quoted in the responses, despite these being comprehensively disproven. Those who are responsible for sharing these dangerous myths should be utterly ashamed of themselves.”

The UK’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty believes care home staff have a “professional responsibility” to have the vaccine.

Government ministers are discussing whether to make the vaccine mandatory for NHS and care sector staff but unions including the GMB have warned against the idea.

Three of the UK’s biggest care home owners, Care UK, Barchester and Advina Healthcare, are insisting staff have the jab and from now on will only hire people who have been vaccinated.

Mr Dromey’s survey also revealed problems with PPE equipment not getting through to care homes seem to be solved.

Currently only three local care homes currently have current Covid outbreaks. – two with one member of staff affected, but another has seven staff and 14 residents currently battling the virus.

Mr Dromey also praised local care home staff for their bravery over the last 12 months.

He said: “Throughout the pandemic I have been in regular contact with Erdington’s care homes, including three surveys of all 47 local care homes. I have heard first-hand the extremely difficult challenges that staff and residents have faced.

“What has shone through over the past 12 months is the dedication and commitment of care home staff to the residents they care for. I know how hard they have worked, and they have gone above and beyond to provide the very best care in extremely difficult circumstances.”

He added: “I’d like to pay tribute to all care home staff across Erdington for their heroic work.”

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccines direct from the NHS visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination

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LOCAL OPINION: How a community came together and made themselves heard

Words by Estelle Murphy – Short Heath Fields Trust / Pics by Ed King & Estelle Murphy

12 months ago, Estelle Murphy joined a growing campaign to Save Short Heath Playing Fields, a beloved green space in Erdington that Birmingham City Council had earmarked for a housing estate.

A year later, as Short Heath Fields Trust prepare for a meeting with Councillor Ian Ward and the heads of planning, Estelle tells Erdington Local how “picking a fight” with the council can change your world, forge friendships, give you grey hair, frustrate you beyond reason, and fill you with pride.

This time last year I would never have dreamed of picking a fight with Birmingham City Council, but these are strange times we are living in.

When the council decided to build on Short Heath Playing Fields, ignoring alternative brown field sites, our community were outraged. Many generations have spent their childhoods on those playing fields and wanted them kept safe for those yet to come.

Modern day life has seen my community drift apart. Rarely looking up from their own worries to say hello, overcrowded HMO’s, unemployment, and families unable to make the choice between heating or food. My community has been tired and fractured.

But a small group of people decided to stand up for right, against wrong. The fight to stop the council building on Short Heath Playing Fields began with a chance encounter of myself and Stephen Hughes, which within an hour grew – adding a few of our neighbours and galvanising into Short Heath Fields Trust.

Fellow campaigners and I got front row seats as we watched our community break and mend itself all in the same breath. Tempers had snapped, and the playing fields became the final nail in the coffin. Our community had watched their way of lives, and neighbourhood, slowly erode – and frustrated people, sick of being ignored, stood side by side, straightened their backs, found their voices and roared. Together as one.

We are nowhere near the end of the fight to save Short Heath Playing Fields, but we do now have a “seat at the table”, a phrase used by Jack Dromey MP. We have had to learn new skills, write proposals, meet councillors, spend hours researching documents, deeds, and legislation.

Staring at laptop screens into the small hours, day after day. It really is like being in a maze; dead ends, wrong turns, blocked pathways, feeling hopelessness, frustration, and despair. I have got lost only to find myself coming back round another corner. I have cried. I have screamed. All because I have stepped into a world where I do not understand the rules of the game.

But then I open my door, step outside, and realise this is not just my fight. It has shown me that the kind of people who step up and stand shoulder to shoulder with you, who fight as hard as you, each in their own unique way, still exist. This is a community fight.

And this fight bought a community together. From the HMO tenants to their neighbours and pensioners, people have picked up litter, cleared overgrown pathways, and cut back brambles. They now laugh, joke, and work together again.

I have seen a young family living in an HMO grateful enough to ask those clearing the entrances to sign small wooden hearts for their new-born son, then proudly bring him to meet the community who organised a Halloween pumpkin hunt on the playing fields.

I have seen OAP’s picking up extra toilet rolls (when we all went mad and emptied the shelves_ leaving them on a young family’s doorstep. There are now families cooking an extra meal every Sunday, to make sure someone alone has something warm inside them.

I have seen my community stand together in the middle of Storm Eric, protesting the council’s refusal to cut the grass on the playing fields, when we asked for the space to be cleared so we could be outside safely in the middle of a pandemic. They were armed with handheld gardening tools determined to do it themselves if they had to.

Now I can’t walk down the street without being asked: “how are we doing” or “any news?” Despite how hard it has been, we have got through it together, and will continue forward together because we are a community. It is inspiring to see and humbling to be a part of.

And I have learned that when you ignore people for long enough, they come together to stand up, to be counted, and to make themselves heard.

For more on the campaign to Save Short Heath Playing Fields, visit www.shortheathfieldstrust.godaddysites.com – or click here to visit the ‘Save Short Heath Playing Fields’ page on Facebook.

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NEWS: GKN Automotive to close Chester Road site making over 500 unemployed

Words by Adam Smith

Erdington’s sprawling GKN Automotive factory, Chester Road, is being closed down with the loss of more than 500 jobs.

GKN‘s owner Melrose Industries announced the news, which will bring down the curtain on one of the UK’s oldest engineering assembly lines, to shocked workers this week.

Workers were informed of the decision through a letter from GKN Automotive chief Liam Butterworth, who said: “GKN Automotive has taken the difficult decision to propose the closure of our assembly site at Chester Road, Birmingham.

“Sadly, an increasingly competitive global market means that the site is no longer viable. This is despite significant effort and investment over the past 10 years to reduce the site’s high operating costs and make it competitive.

“Supporting our people is our first priority as we consult on this proposal. Employees at the site are being notified today and support is being made available to them throughout this process. We will then commence a period of consultation with the union and employee representatives in the coming weeks.

“We expect this proposal to impact 519 employees. The proposal envisages that GKN Automotive will carefully wind down the site over 18 months to ensure an orderly and stable transition of operations and give those affected time to find new work. The proposal is to transfer production to other sites in our network.”

Melrose Industries bought GKN in 2018 in a controversial hostile takeover in which they promised to keep the Erdington plant open. GKN can trace its history back to the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century and has been at the forefront of engineering in the UK ever since, the Erdington site assembles automotive parts.

The restructure will not affect GKN’s plants in Sutton Coldfield and Minworth.

Unite national officer Des Quinn said: “The workforce have been left shocked and angry to learn that management is looking to close this highly viable site.

“Unite is now seeking urgent meetings with senior management at GKN to understand the business case and the logic behind this decision.”

He added: “Unite is committed to working with GKN to find a feasible solution, which will keep the factory open and preserve the jobs of this highly skilled workforce.”

Erdington MP Jack Dromey opposed the £8.1 billion takeover in 2018 warning the British multinational Melrose Industries would cut costs and jobs.

He said: “Despite all the warm words by Melrose in 2018 to protect the future prosperity of GKN and its British workforce, the cold reality three years on is that one of GKN’s finest plants now faces closure. Melrose promised a bright future to GKN’s employees – a promise they have now broken.

“This announcement is completely unexpected by employees at GKN. Working together with their trade union, Unite, I will be seeking an urgent meeting with the company.

“Government Ministers also have a responsibility to act after promises they made at the time of the hostile takeover.”

A spokesperson from GKN Automotive said: “Proposing this closure is a difficult decision which has been made despite significant effort and investment over the past 10 years to reduce the high operating costs at the Birmingham assembly site.

“Sadly, an increasingly competitive global market means that the site is no longer viable. Supporting our people is our priority as we consult on our proposals.”

John Taylor Hospice’s former press officer and Pype Hayes resident Ray Woods lamented the closure of the factory and its impact on the community.

He said: ”My thoughts are with the employees of GKN in Pype Hayes. They and their former senior management helped to raise thousands of pounds for John Taylor Hospice. They should be very proud.

“This is another blow for Erdington and the local community.”

To find out more about GKN Automotive, visit www.gknautomotive.com

For more from Unite the Union, visit www.unitetheunion.org

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NEWS: Erdington’s top politicians push for Brexit deal in support of local industry

Words by Ed King

As MPs across the country prepare to vote on the Brexit trade deal, Erdington’s top politicians both agree that a no-deal exit from the European Union (EU) would be disastrous for local industry.

Crossing the aisle in support of the UK’s business community, MP for Erdington Jack Dromey (Labour) and Erdington ward Councillor Robert Alden (Conservative) agree that the current deal, recently secured by Boris Johnson, is the best way to see in the New Year.

Although still divided by party lines, Erdington’s red and blue leaders have come out in public support of the offer negotiated from Brussels – urging the potential rebels in Westminster to push forward and vote ‘yes’ in the House of Commons on 30th December.

Jack Dromey MP for Erdington said: “We are now left with a very clear choice – the deal that has been agreed or a no deal Brexit.

“Throughout the Brexit process, I have been in intensive dialogue with leading figures from across the world of work. On the eve of the historic Brexit vote, their message is clear – vote for the deal or risk plunging British manufacturing into an unprecedented crisis.”

Quick to recognise the Prime Minister’s role in securing a deal, a diplomatic achievement many thought impossible, Cllr Alden – who is also leader of the Birmingham Conservatives – told Erdington Local:

“With Boris Johnson securing the deal others said he could not and Keir Starmer announcing Labour would vote for the deal without having seen it, Brexit is finally set to be delivered.

“All the wards in Erdington voted to leave the EU and Boris Johnson has delivered the wishes of Erdington constituency, despite repeated attempts by Labour MP’s and others to prevent the will of the people being enacted.

“What is vital now is to maximise the opportunities Brexit can offer the country and our region: the chance to strike trade deals across the world, to control our borders, to deliver world leading environmental protections, and locally the opportunity to use trade deals to regenerate our economy and deliver well paid jobs for local residents, lifting the average wage of Birmingham residents. 

Cllr Alden, who holds the Erdington ward office along with Cllr Gareth Moore, further recognised the potential growth on the horizon if the trade agreement successfully passes.

He added: “The freedoms the deal provides the country need to be used to provide investment into a gigafactory and the car industry, to support jobs in Jaguar/Land Rover and the supply chain, allowing them to modernise and grow.

“I urge the Government to ignore the City Council, who voted for gigafactories to be built in other regions instead, and to invest in Birmingham.”

MP for an area that voted to leave the EU in the June 2016 referendum, Jack Dromey has perhaps more friction within his party than in his constituency – with many Labour MPs urging Sir Keir Starmer to stymy the Johnson secured deal.

He added: “Since the British people decided that we were to leave the European Union in 2016, I have been unequivocal that a no deal Brexit would be a betrayal of the British national interest.

“This deal is far from perfect, and there are many aspects that we need to build upon at the next stages. But the alternative, a no deal and trading on WTO terms, would be a disaster for Britain’s manufacturing industry.

“So, I would urge all Members of Parliament to listen to the workers voice and vote for the Brexit deal. British manufacturing is counting on it.”

MPs will gather in the House of Commons to vote on the Brexit deal on 30th December, having been recalled from their winter break for the historic trade agreement.

Debates will start at 9:30am and are expected to continue until the afternoon, after which the bill will be moved to the House of Lords.

If successful, the Brexit trade deal could receive royal assent by morning on New Year’s Eve 2020.

For more on Brexit/Britain’s exit from the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/transition