I visited one of the most luxurious areas in the West Midlands and found that no one was to be trusted

Knowledge may be an aspirational part of the West Midlands to live in – but that doesn’t mean residents are happy. With the general election days away, I went to Knowle – home to the millionaire’s blocks – but found confidence in short supply.

Knowle is in the new Meriden and Solihull East constituency and has historically been a Tory safe seat – but they are all competitive this time, according to the polls. Standing on the high street in the sweltering heat, locals expressed their views on the upcoming general election and the issues affecting them.

Some said the area had too many charity shops and others told us they didn’t know who to trust.

Read more: Locals say it has been turned into a ‘dump’

Jill, 69, was worried about all the promises made in this election and felt let down by Rishi Sunak. “We need to look at how the parties will pay for their promises,” she said.

“We’ve had the worst few years ever in this country since the war,” she added. Despite this, she credits the Conservatives with navigating these troubled times.

She said: “The Tories managed to get us out the other side”, adding that “businesses are still open and people still have jobs”.

Jill did not hold back in her assessment of Labor leader Keir Starmer. When asked to describe him in three words, she replies: “Weak, unconvincing and without much intent.”

Her skepticism also extends to Chief Minister Rishi Sunak. “I think it’s not compelling at this point. It’s not strong enough,” she says. Jill believes Sunak should have taken a different approach: “He should have stayed away from internal party conflicts and focused on running the country.”

Sarah, 54, agreed and listed the police, NHS and housing as her main concerns. She emphasized the importance of these areas in her daily life and their impact on the community.

Asked to describe Labor leader Keir Starmer in three words, Sarah’s response was cautiously optimistic: “I hope it’s better.” She explains: “I hope he’s better than the last prime minister we got.”

While she sees potential in Starmer, she remains uncertain about his ability to bring about meaningful change. “I think it has a good chance,” she says, but quickly tempers her expectations with, “No, I don’t think it’s going to be easy.”

Max, 74, is worried about immigration and the empty shops on the village’s main street. “There are too many empty shops here in the village,” said Max, pointing to a common complaint about the decline of local streets.

He said the high street was dominated by estate agents, charity shops and barbers, which did not contribute to a vibrant sense of community. Asked about the main issue that influenced his vote in this election, Max turned to security. “The world is in a mess,” he states bluntly.

“Immigration made the difference. We had a lot more people coming from Hong Kong, but that’s okay; they are nice people,” he notes. However, he also expresses a concern shared by many in this election: “The main issue is dealing with immigration. The country cannot have so many people coming,” he said.

He referred to Nigel Farage’s comments about the role of the EU and NATO in challenging Putin, suggesting that these geopolitical tensions contributed to global instability.

Max criticized the current political leadership in general. When asked to describe Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in two words, his response is blunt: “Broken promises.”

He reserved some praise for Farage, particularly on Brexit. “I agree with Brexit,” said Max. “He’s absolutely right when he said he handed the election to Boris Johnson with an 82-seat majority and then ended up squandering it.”

Despite his criticism, Max plans to vote Conservative this election. “I’ll be honest with you. I’ll vote Tory for now because it won’t make any real difference overall,” he explained. He said his support was largely due to his local MP’s efforts to maintain the quality of life in the area.

Looking ahead, Max sees potential in the Reform Party, saying: “In five years, when reform has really settled, I should vote for them.”

NHS worker Amanda, 54, said the staff shortage was “unbelievable”. “I work for the NHS so the understaffing is unbelievable,” she explained.

“I would like a lot more support for the NHS. This is one of my highlights,” she added. When asked to describe the state of the NHS in three words, her answer is telling: “Not very well.”

Amanda’s views on political leadership reveal a nuanced perspective. “I like Keir Starmer,” she admits, adding “I like him; he seems like a nice guy.”

She revealed that although she usually votes Conservative, this election was different.

She said: “I normally always support the Tories and have always voted for them. It will be difficult this year – very difficult – because I like Keir Starmer but I don’t want to support Labour.”

Amanda’s concern about the current state of the NHS is one that could influence voter behavior in future elections.

Meriden and Solihull East is a newly proposed constituency for the United Kingdom Parliament, to be contested for the first time in the 2024 general election.

This new seat spans some of England’s most affluent areas, such as Knowle, alongside some of its most deprived boroughs, such as Chelmsley Wood, where some men can have a life expectancy of up to one decade shorter than those in wealthier areas such as Knowle and Solihull. .

The candidates for the seat of Meriden and Solihull East are;

• Sarah Alan (work)
• Saqib Bhatti (Conservative)
• Malcolm Sedgley (Reform Britain)
• Shesh Sheshabhatter (Green)
• Sunny Virk (Liberal Democrat)