Visited the Birmingham area tired of dirty streets and ‘broken promises’

A sunny day in Hall Green reveals leafy streets and smiling locals on power walks. However, the number one complaint residents surprisingly have about the area is trash and sidewalk parking.

Ahead of the general election, I spoke to Hall Green residents on June 21 about pressing issues that needed to be tackled in the constituency. The current Labor candidate for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley is Tahir Ali, who has been the MP for the area since 2019.

However, like Ladywood, there is a lack of confidence in Labor and three independents are seeking to take the seat, including controversial activist Shakeel Afsar. Mohammad Hafeez and Babar Raja are also looking to change things, with Raja’s son speaking to us supporting his father’s policies of cleaner streets, tackling unemployment and supporting Palestine.

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The seat was renamed in this election following changes to constituency delineation in the United Kingdom. It now covers Hall Green, Moseley, Kings Heath, Sparkbrook and Springfield.

Klaudia Mazibrada, 53, said: “As a dog walker, I see dirt everywhere on pavements, roads and side roads. Everyone says it’s not their responsibility, people park where they shouldn’t. It’s just cleanliness and parking , don’t mention fast drivers.”

Irfan Gohir, 57, said: “Traffic calming measures are a problem, potholes everywhere and we need to have a system where it looks after the whole of Birmingham, not just the rich parts.”

Gohir also highlighted the cost of living as a wider election issue, saying: “The main issue at the moment is the cost of living crisis, which has been horrendous, utility bills have gone up and council tax is an absolute nightmare.

“The government should take responsibility. Unemployment is still a problem where young people are not in education, training and employment and they need community and somewhere to get those skills”.

Ratilal Yadav, 73, echoed the traffic problems saying: “Dangerous driving on these roads and probably young people driving at 70-80mph, that’s a problem.”

Meanwhile, Mohammed Amin, 57, felt a lack of trust in the government, saying: “A big problem for me is trust in politics because when you see the debates you don’t get clear answers. You get broken promises.

“Once they are in government, they are not held accountable. For me it’s about accountability and trust, I’ve been a lifelong Labor supporter but I’ve also become disillusioned with them. Keir Starmer also with his stance on Gaza and not being straightforward about it.”

Full list of candidates running for Birmingham Hall Green:

• Tahir Ali – The work
• Zain Ahmed – Green party
• Shakeel Afsar – Independent
• Mohammad Hafeez – Independent
• Izzy Knowles – Liberal Democrat
• Henry Morris – Conservative
• Stephen McBrien – Reform Great Britain
• Babar Raja – Independent