Tag: Reform UK

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NEWS: Head of Local Lib Dem group Roger Harmer voted in as Leader of Birmingham City Council

Birmingham Council House / Photograph by Ed King

Words by Ed King

The head of the of the Birmingham Liberal Democrats group, Cllr Roger Harmer (Acocks Green), was voted in as Leader of Birmingham City Council at a Full Council meeting yesterday.

Convening in the Council chamber at 6pm on 5 June, all 101 councillors from across the city were invited to attend and vote for the individual they wanted to take up the top job – which brings with it a special Responsibility Allowance of £56,579 on top of the Basic Allowance granted to all councillors of £19,952.

The vote for Council leader was called after no party managed to secure a majority in the recent Local Elections held in May 2026, with no majority coalition subsequently formed.

Official prepare to vote for city leader in Birmingham Council Chamber / Photograph by Ed King

Cllr Harmer was nominated by Birmingham Green Party leader, Cllr Julien Pritchard (Druids Heath & Monyhull), as part of a minority coalition between the two parties and independent councillors from the Better Birmingham Independent Group.

Also nominated, by members of their own parties, were the leader of the Birmingham Local Conservatives Cllr Robert Alden (Erdington) and the leader of the Birmingham Reform UK group Cllr Jex Parkin (Kingstanding).

Following the nominations, a 20 minute recess was taken before the three candidates were allowed five minutes to address the chamber and deliver a speech as to why they would be right person to form a Cabinet and lead the city’s elected officials.

Cllr Roger Harmer addresses chamber ahead of vote for city leader / Photograph by Ed King

Speaking in the order they were nominated, Cllr Harmer was the first to address the chamber, presenting a “coalition built on partnership” and asking those present to allow him to establish a Cabinet that would “put right the failures of the past” – seemingly referring to the 14 year long Labour run administration which ended with the city effectively declaring bankruptcy and an unresolved bin strike.

Addressing the city’s elected official next was Cllr Robert Alden, who began by declaring Birmingham “the greatest city in the world” before reminding the room and those hoping to govern that “just blaming the failures of the last 14 years will not be accepted” by the city’s residents.

Cllr Robert Alden addresses chamber ahead of vote for city leader / Photograph by Ed King

Cllr Alden further warned against the “frankly geographical [political] spilt across the city” following the recently Council elections, which saw concentrations of elected councillor from both political parties and independents in certain areas of Birmingham.

“None of us have a majority,” added Cllr Alden, “and no one over the next four years [until the next Council elections] should forget that.”

Cllr Alden’s speech received applause from across the Birmingham Council Chamber.

Last to address the room was the recently appointed head of Birmingham’s Reform UK group, Cllr Jex Parkin, who leads the lion’s share of Birmingham’s elected officials – overseeing 23 councillors, four more than Birmingham’s Green Party which sits as the second political group in the city.

Cllr Jex Park sits with Birmingham Reform councillors in Birmingham Council Chamber ahead of vote for city leader / Photograph by Ed King

After describing how Birmingham is still “deciding how we interpret on of the most significant results”, which also saw the Birmingham Labour Party lose 48 councillors, Cllr Parkin called for “co-operation across all political boarders” and warned against a “chaotic coalition of musical chairs.”

Leader of both the largest and newest political party in the city, Cllr Parkin closed his argument by listing the attributes that Birmingham Reform councillors could bring to their potential governorship of the city, and declaring “life experience beats political experience each and every time.”

Councillors present were then asked to voice their votes for the Council Leader, a process which had been postponed after the previous Full Council meeting in May ran out of time due to the inauguration of the new Lord Mayor Zaker Choudhry.

After the results were counted, Cllr Roger Harmer won with a clear majority of 40 votes – against 19 votes for Cllr Robert Alden and 18 votes for Cllr Jex Parkin.

Birmingham City Council House, as viewed behind Heras fencing / Photgraph by Ed King

Analysis of the results showed that the Liberal Democrats and Green Party has used their party whips effectively, retaining support from all their elected officials – alongside those from the Better Birmingham Independent Group.

The Birmingham Local Conservatives group also received votes from all its 16 councillors, alongside additional support from independents Cllr Amar Khan (Stockland Green) and Rinkal Shergill (Holyhead).

Birmingham’s Reform UK party however only received 18 votes from its body of 23 councillors, with their recently elected Kingstanding Councillor Graham Green absent from the meeting.

Of the last two remaining Labour councillors in the Erdington constituency, Cllr Ray Goodwin (Castle Vale) abstained and Cllr Mick Brown (Gravelly Hill) was absent.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham also received one vote, although it was not officially counted in the final results.

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LOCAL FEATURE: Petition launched by Raise the Colours to see statue of King Charles I replace flags at Kingstanding Circle

Image taken from online peition at change.org

Words by Josh Neicho

Self-professed patriotic campaigners from Kingstanding have started an online petition to see a commemorative statue of King Charles I officially erected at Kingstanding Circle, as a replacement for the unauthorised flag displays.

Legend has it Charles I reviewed his troops while standing on a neolithic barrow north of present-day Kingstanding Circle, in the run up to the first major clash of the Civil War, the Battle of Edgehill.

Artist’s impression of King Charles I commanding his forces at the Battle of Naseby in 1645 / Image taken from Adobe Stock ImagesSean Keatley of Raise the Colours Kingstanding, who have been responsible for the proliferation of Union Flags and St George’s Cross flags around the ward, says the story of the troop review “adds character to our community” and “connects us to our country’s rich historical tapestry”.

Charles I statue and Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square / Photohraph taken from Adobe Stock Images

Keatley says that growing up locally, he often wondered why there was no monument to King Charles, given the name of the area, and argues Kingstanding deserves the equivalent of Brownhills’ 40 foot Tin Man or Spitfire Island in Castle Vale. His vision is of a statue similar of Charles I on horseback in scale and style to the one in the centre of London, at the top of Whitehall.

Now he is looking to amass support for the statue and has told media if approval is given to the monument the sea of St George’s Cross and Union flags on the Circle could “come down permanently”. Raise the Colours’ Chris Davis adds that “having something a lot more permanent would be a lot more fulfilling”.

For several months, the Kingstanding ‘flaggers’ have played cat and mouse with Council workers and anti-flagging activists over the display around Kingstanding Circle – with local residents debating if the campaign represents patriotism or jingoistic aggression.

Some even call the campaign racist in its intent, echoing the historic concerns over cultural division in Kingstanding – where the British National Party candidate Sharon Ebanks was nearly elected as local councillor in 2006.

(L-R) Sean Keatley, Chris Davis from Raise the Colours Kingstanding by Kingstanding Circle / Image supplied by Sean Keatley

But Keatley insists things have moved on in the last twenty years and believes “we should be able to celebrate our history and our culture.”

“If we aren’t doing anything to celebrate it, it’s being taken away,” he adds.

Raise the Colours Kingstanding is optimistic about the statue, after receiving support from several candidates in the recent local elections. They now hope to progress the idea with the ward’s new Reform councillors, including the Birmingham group’s newly appointed leader, Jex Parkin.

Reform UK Deputy Leader, Richard Tice, who visited during the local elections campaign, “is in full support of our movement and what we stand for”, Keatley adds, and he’s waiting to see if Tice “will help us make it happen”.

Keatley suggests funding could come from the £20 million awarded to Kingstanding under the Government’s Pride in Place scheme.

Announced by the Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton in September last year, after funds were released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Pride in Place will see £20m come into Kingstanding over the next decade – with £2m allocated for projects annually.

Following an open application process, Birmingham Settlement boss Martin Holcombe has been appointed Chair of the Pride in Place Board that will oversee spending – with additional members being made up from local stakeholders and residents.

Hamilton says she is proud to have secured the funding and decisions on spending must be community-led. “This funding should reflect the priorities of local residents, whether that is investing in youth services, safe and welcoming spaces for older people, improving parks and public spaces, or indeed proposals such as a statue of King Charles I,” she confirmed.

Charles I (1600-1649) on engraving from the 1800s – as published in London by L.Tallis / Image taken from Adobe Stock Images

But historians warn that claims about Charles I’s presence at Kingstanding should be treated with due scepticism.

Professor Andrew Hopper, a Civil War specialist who grew up in Solihull, says he knew the story years ago, “but only from ‘tradition’ and oral sources”. Professor Hopper adds that enthusiasm for a Charles I statue is ironic, given Birmingham’s noted Parliamentarian sympathies in the Civil War and the sack of the city by Prince Rupert – an incident recalled by several Erdington Local readers.

After reading about Keatley’s petition on Erdington Local’s social media, James Wells from Erdington Lunar Society posted: “Let’s commemorate someone who attempted to take our democratic rights away, caused a civil war that divided the country and whose son viciously attacked Birmingham who supported the parliamentary side. I don’t think so.”

Artist’s impression of King Charles I commanding his forces at the Battle of Naseby in 1645 / Image taken from Adobe Stock Images

Doyen of Birmingham history Carl Chinn says a more prosaic explanation is that the name comes from a ‘standing’ – a hunter’s station – which Chinn thinks is plausible given the area’s proximity to Sutton, a royal chase.

Meanwhile researcher Ronald E. Crook once documented the word ‘king’ was common in the names of local fields before the Civil War and that there are stories linked to the Kingstanding barrow about a medieval Danish king’s exploits too.

To see the online petition visit www.change.org/p/install-a-statue-of-king-charles-i-on-kingstanding-circle

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LOCAL POLITICS: “We need change” – Erdington MP calls for Keir Starmer to step down following Labour’s Council election losses

Paulette Hamilton and Keir Starmer in Erdington during by-election camapign in 2022 / Photograph from Erdington Local archives

Words by Ed King

Erdington’s MP Paulette Hamilton has called for Sir Keir Starmer to step down as Labour Party leader, telling the BBC’s Sarah Montague “we need change” in an interview on Radio 4’s World at One programme.

Appearing on Monday 11 May, a few days after Labour suffered drastic loses in the recent Council elections – and where Reform UK and independent candidates took eight of the twelve local seats across the Erdington constituency – Ms Hamilton told the broadcaster there was a need for an “orderly transition” of power at the top of the Labour Party.

“At the moment, people are burying their heads in the sand,” added Ms Hamilton, before describing how over the last year and a half “I have seen where we are, people are just not listening. They do not trust anything [Labour] have to say.”

Promotional poster for BBC Four’s World at One with Sarah Montague

“They’re telling you, ‘I have voted Labour all my life but I am not voting for Keir Starmer,’” she continued, “if you know the Brummie way of doing things, [the general public] have made it clear they are not voting for Keir Starmer.”

Earlier in the interview, Ms Hamilton had outlined the threat she believes is being faced by the Labour Party over issues with its leadership, stating: “I am telling people today, unless we wake up smell the roses we may as well hand the keys of Number 10 over to Reform in the next couple of years.”

This was highlighted in a recent and razor thin battle for the Stockland Green Ward, where the Labour candidate Derek Douglas lost to Reform UK’s Mansoor Butt by only one vote.

At the official count, Mr Douglas told Erdington Local he felt the loss was a direct result of negative feelings towards the national party.

Reform’s Mansoor Butt in an empty Utilita Arena after Stockland Green recount / Photograph by Ed King

The Erdington MP’s strong words today mirror a campaign spearheaded by Catherine West MP (Hornsey and Friern Barnet, Labour) to oust the Labour leader and establish a fresh face in Number 10 ahead of the next General Election.

At the time of writing, over 50 MPs across the UK have backed the call for a leadership challenge – with Sir Starmer making an impassioned speech to buoy support from his backbenchers and Cabinet, highlighting plans to potentially nationalise British Steel, and provide better opportunities for young people.

The Labour Leader was also clear on his plans to “[rebuild] our relationship with Europe” and put “Britain at the heart of Europe” – which many see as paving the way for a potential re-entry to the European Union.

Ms Hamilton MP also referenced this in her Radio 4 interview, stating she “was for Europe” and was “happy with what [Keir Starmer] said” in his speech, but that people in Erdington were contacting her constituency office the Labour leader’s stance.

“I’m telling you, residents have already started writing to me telling me they don’t like it,” Ms Hamilton told the BBC. “That’s the point. At the moment I’m starting to get mail into my office saying, ‘why has he (Kier Starmer) come out with that?’”

Paulette Hamilton and Keir Starmer in Erdington during by-election camapign in 2022 / Photograph from Erdington Local archives

Erdington Local reached out to Paulette Hamilton’s office for further comment on the issues over Europe and the EU and received the following statement from the Erdington MP:

“I campaigned to remain, but Britain voted to leave. That’s democracy. Residents have told me on the doorstep and by email that we voted to leave, and they’re right.

“A good relationship with Europe is important, but the ‘new direction’ won’t put us back to where we were in the EU.”

At the recent Council elections, Reform UK candidates won both seats in both Oscott and Kingstanding, and one of the two seats up for grabs in Stockland Green – with the other going to incumbent independent Amar Khan. Reform also one the single seats contested in Pype Hayes and Perry Common.

Elsewhere, Labour incumbents retained their seats in Gravelly Hill and Castle Vale – with the Local Conservatives also holding onto their two seats in the Erdington Ward.

 

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OPINION: John Lambert, Chair of Reform UK Erdington Branch

(L-R) John Lambert and Reform UK local campaigers at Kingstanding Circle / Photograph supplied by Reform UK

Words by John Lambert

Residents aren’t imagining this? They’re living it. Every single day.

Bins overflowing like a Victorian slum, fly-tipping, rats, noise at all hours, parking that’s basically impossible and once decent family streets turning into transient chaos.

People can see it with their own eyes. They can smell it.

What makes this whole thing reek is the rank hypocrisy from some of the very councillors who are supposed to be sorting it out.

They’ll moan in WhatsApp groups, post outraged tweets, nod sagely in meetings about “the HMO problem” and how something must be done, all while quietly owning multiple HMO properties themselves and cashing the cheques. Sorry, but you cannot have it both ways.

If they are benefiting from a system that is damaging their own constituents’ quality of life, they should spare residents the performative hand-wringing.

That is not leadership. It is posturing.

No wonder trust in local politicians is in the gutter. People are sick to death of this two-faced nonsense. One message for the cameras, another reality behind closed doors. Residents want straight talking. They want consistency.

Above all, they want councillors who aren’t feathering their own nests while pretending to care about the mess.

If we really want to sort out the HMO mess, the overcrowding, the anti-social behaviour, the way it’s dragging down whole neighbourhoods, then councillors need to step up and enforce strict licensing, inspect every property thoroughly and close down any that don’t meet basic standards.

Erdington and every other town blighted by this deserves proper representation, not managed outrage and political hypocrisy.

Follow Reform UK Erdington Branch on X/Twitter at www.x.com/ReformErdington

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OPINION: John Lambert, Chair of Reform UK Erdington Branch

(l-r) John Lambert – Chair of Reform UK’s Erdingotn Branch, and Reform UK local campaigners by Kingstanding Circle

Words by John Lambert

Dear residents of Castle Vale, Erdington, Gravelly Hill, Kingstanding, Oscott, Perry Common, Pype Hayes, and Stockland Green.

Let’s cut to the chase. On 9 February, we were with Nigel Farage at a rammed NEC rally. Say what you like about rallies, but the momentum is undeniable. Big-name defections like Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman, polls showing Reform ahead nationwide, it’s game on for May’s local elections.

Reform are gearing up to fight every seat in Birmingham and deliver where Labour’s let you down.

You’ve spelt it out loud and clear to us. Potholes wrecking Slade Road, Chester Road, and Gravelly Lane. Fly-tipping blighting Witton Lakes, Stockland Green’s back streets and Castle Vale’s parks.

Bin collections have been in meltdown since that endless dispute kicked off in early 2025 and those overcrowded HMOs and exempt accommodation fuelling anti-social chaos in Oscott and Kingstanding.

Birmingham City Council crashed and burned in 2023 effectively bankrupt. Council tax? It’s UP over 17% in two years and now they’re asking for another 4.99% hike while spinning yarns about how they’re “not bankrupt” because the books balance. Erdington residents aren’t fools. If it’s all so balanced, then why are the basics still in tatters?

Reform’s plan is simple and straight. Slash the waste, patch those potholes pronto, hammer fly-tippers with zero-tolerance enforcement, sort the bins so they’re reliable again and crack down hard on dodgy landlords and unsafe HMOs.

We’ll demand proper community policing, protect our parks and enforce planning rules that put residents first so our streets feel safe, clean and cared for again.

For more from Reform UK Erdington Branch visit www.reformerdington.co.uk

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OPINION: John Lambert, Chair of Reform UK Erdington Branch

Chair of Reform UK Erdington Branch John Lambert (far left) with local campaigners at Kingstanding Circle / Photograph supplied by Reform UK Erdington Branch

(Ed’s note… this column was written for the January/February Erdington Local newspaper and first published on 20.01.26)

Words by John Lambert

January in Erdington has a particular honesty. The lights are down and what remains is the everyday. Getting the kids to school, keeping a business open and hoping the street still feels like yours when you get home.

All across Castle Vale, Erdington, Gravelly Hill, Kingstanding, Oscott, Perry Common, Pype Hayes and Stockland Green, residents are telling us the same thing. They do not want another set of promises in 2026. They want the basics done properly. Bins collected on time, streets kept clean, potholes repaired before they swallow a wheel and anti-social behaviour dealt with, rather than managed.

They also want fairness. Planning rules should mean something, not least when decent streets are being slowly worn down by fly-tipping, nuisance vehicles and the quiet creep of overcrowded HMOs that change a street’s rhythm overnight. Good landlords should not be undercut by rogue operators who ignore standards because enforcement is rare. Residents should not be left to log the same complaints again and again while nothing moves.

Operation Fearless by West Midlands Police has brought a bracing reminder of what normal should look like. Visible patrols, pace and consequence. But a town should not require a named operation to feel protected. If urgency works when it is organised and resourced, it should work every day of the year.

We are Reform UK’s Erdington Branch.

Like every resident in Erdington, we want competence. We will push for transparent spending, firmer enforcement and a council that treats residents as customers, not an afterthought. You may have already seen us in Erdington’s neighbourhoods, listening, taking notes and asking residents the simplest question of all.

What would you fix first if the people in charge were finally prepared to do the job? Please send your suggestions to [email protected]

For more from Reform UK’s Erdington Branch visit www.reformerdington.co.uk

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OPINION: Jack Brookes, local campaigner for Reform UK in Erdington and Kingstanding

Jack Brookes on campaign trail in Erdington during the 2022 by-election / Photograph supplied by Jack Brookes

Words by Jack Brookes

Merry Christmas everyone and have a Happy New Year!

I understand that times are the toughest they have been for a long time but, now is a time for hope and joy. Ignore the negative noise and celebrate Christmas girls and boys.

Enjoy the winter festivities and the well-deserved rest. Christmas is a time for reflection and to pursue meaning, not the presents. The one gift that is truly valuable to us all: time. So, stay warm and be with those that you love.

To those of you that are able to give, please give. Even it is only a little, a little at the right moment can go a long way.

And to those of you that are in difficult circumstances, it won’t last forever. You are tough and things will get better. Hold on.

Merry Christmas and 2026 is going to be a wonderful year,

Jack Brookes

To follow Jack Brookes on social media visit www.x.com/jack4erdington

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OPINION: Jack Brookes, local campaigner for Reform UK in Erdington and Kingstanding

Jack Brookes on campaign trail in Erdington during the 2022 by-election / Photograph supplied by Jack Brookes

Words by Jack Brookes

Remembrance Day… We must not forget the brave and the honourable. We must put veterans first. We must honour the dead by living each day with meaning and purpose.

Too many veterans feel let down; they have been let down. Their sacrifice was not worth it, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

I had an ancestor that died a slave in imperial Japanese hands and another ancestor that fought in both world wars and survived. I had another relative serve in the Falklands War, and he died five years ago of pancreatic cancer.

My family has a history of serving this country and it is for this reason alone that I keep fighting in politics. I will put veterans first, in everything that I do.

Taking inspiration from our Armed Forces – especially their fitness standards – I have devised another policy for the area: installation of athletics/running tracks and basketball courts at schools.

In Taiwan there is a running track at 85% of all schools and over 92% have basketball courts; Taiwan has some of the best health outcomes in the world and spend much less on healthcare – this policy can save the NHS. These running tracks are available to the public in the evening and on the weekends.

Things must change. Things must get bettr. We must give ourselves strength and then we can reform the nation.

In Liberty,

JB

To follow Jack Brookes on social media visit www.x.com/jack4erdington

 

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OPINION: Jack Brookes, local campaigner for Reform UK in Erdington and Kingstanding

Jack Brookes on the campaign trail in Erdington, during the 2022 by-election / Photograph supplied by Jack Brookes

Words by Jack Brookes

(**Ed’s note… this column was first published on Friday 17 October in the Erdington Local print edition.)

Paulette Hamilton says that Kingstanding will get another £2 million extra per year. Therefore, my monthly columns will be focused on how we can improve Kingstanding: empower the residents and improve our quality of life. Positive politics.

The following ideas of what I think we should spend the extra money on were inspired by my travels to Taiwan.

Firstly, we can construct several extremely affordable outdoor calisthenics facilities (pull up bars etc) throughout the ward; in Asian nations these facilities are around every corner and provide full-time access.

A perfect site for a calisthenics addition would be at the Wheeldon Recreation Ground. Additionally, we could upgrade Wheeldon and turn it into a covered MUGA (Multiple Use Games Arena).

Secondly, we can have indoor/outdoor calisthenics equipment installed at the schools. Gymnastics and calisthenics will help get our youngsters strong and positive. Plus, the facilities can be accessible to the public via appropriate clubs.

Furthermore, we should make the most of the space on Warren Farm and build a new covered MUGA with a green roof. This construction would provide everyday access and be a positive benefit to the community.

A strong and a positive body creates a strong and positive mind. We must be healthier and more positive. Motion is lotion. Sport saves lives and reduces crime. Let’s build some strength together! Reform yourself and you will Reform the nation.

And keep flying the flags. The council can take one down, but we will raise two!

To follow Jack Brookes on social media visit www.x.com/jack4erdington

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OPINION: Jack Brookes, local campaigner for Reform UK in Erdington

Jack Brookes on the campaign trail in Erdington, during the 2022 by-election / Photograph supplied by Jack Brookes

Words by Jack Brookes

Hoist the colours! Kingstanding and other areas of Birmingham have fantastic displays of our flags; when Reform wins the locals next year and takes control of Birmingham City Council then I vow that, not only will we keep the flags up but, we will put up more flags. Birmingham, the heart of England, we have found our pride again and it will not go away.

The beautiful sight of our flags being flown all over the UK with pride. These peacefully patriotic acts of defiance against the globalist establishment reminds me of Belfast – where I attended university – except, this time we are all united (rising above sectarianism).

However, the current Labour-run Birmingham City Council has shown its true colours by cutting down our flags and condemning us patriots for putting up our flags. We are not fascists, we are patriots! If Birmingham City Council has a problem with the cross of Saint George or the Union flag because of “safety”, then they have to be consistent and take issue with the flying of LGBTQIA+ flags and Palestinian flags.

We must remember who sacrificed most for our flags: our veterans. We must put veterans to the front of the queue. One policy I am proposing is to repurpose unused parts of parks, such as Finchley Park, with allotments – priority allocation going to our veterans. We need to start digging for victory again.

The Councils may cut down our flags, but we will keep on raising more. Keep flying the flags.

To follow Jack Brookes on social media visit www.x.com/jack4erdington