Birmingham's political leaders each pitched for your vote during BirminghamLive's exclusive hustings event. The candidates - representing the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Independents, Reform and Green Parties - made quickfire pleas to the public ahead of the election for Birmingham City Council on Thursday, May 7.
Below are the responses from the panel who were each given just 30 seconds to plead their case for your vote.
Robert Alden, Conservative
"Only local Conservatives have a plan to clean up Birmingham. A plan to clean up our city by saving weekly bin collections and ending the strike," he said. "A plan to clean up our roads by fixing the potholes. A plan to clean up housing by tackling except accommodation and converting it back to family homes. A plan to clean up green spaces by protecting it from development and scrapping Labour's car parking changes. A plan to clean up our streets by increasing enforcement, a plan to clean up finances by balancing the books. On May 7 don't just hope for a cleaner city, vote for a cleaner city. Vote local Conservative."
John Cotton, Labour
"There's a simple choice to make on May 7, it's between unity and progress and a clear plan for the future of Birmingham under Labour or division and risk under Reform and so-called independents turning the city against other," he said. "Under my leadership we've tackled the issues that have affected this council - from the budget, to equal pay and beyond. We now have fair funding for the first time in a generation. It's putting hundreds of millions in the next few years into the services that matter to people in the city. We cannot afford to put that at risk, which is why I'd ask everyone to vote Labour on May 7."
Roger Harmer, Liberal Democrat
"The Liberal Democrats have a plan to clean up the city and the bin strike and deal with the litter and fly-tipping on our streets," he said. "To tackle antisocial behaviour in terms of badly-run HMOs, in terms of speeding and dangerous driving and right across to planning enforcement. We want a council that actually listens to communities, hears what communities are saying and responds to them. But it's quite clear from the doorsteps that people have rejected the Labour Party now in their minds. And we're offering a positive alternative which gives Birmingham the change it needs and not division and divisiveness."
Nosheen Khalid, Independent
"Birmingham didn't end up here by accident," she said. "Birmingham ended up here because of the same parties, the same excuses and the same failures and now those same parties are asking for a second chance. Unfortunately these councillors have had a top-down rather than a bottom-up approach. Instead of being a voice of residents to the council they have been a voice of party lines and the current failure of the council to residents. We have to change that. We're not asking you to vote for a party. We're asking you to vote for people who are from your communities who care about your communities who will raise a voice for you even when it's uncomfortable. Vote for people who are going to represent you in a way that is representative of you, not the parties."
Jex Parkin, Reform
"It is increasingly clear that only Reform UK can kick Labour out, not only nationally but in Birmingham too," he said. "We need change. It's absolutely imperative that we see change in this city. Every time I see a pothole the size of a crater, or an HMO where a family home should be, or revolting rubbish rotting in the street, I think to myself that is the consequence of an incompetent Labour council and a weak Tory opposition group. It simply cannot go on. So on May 7, vote for Reform UK and let's fix broken Birmingham."
Julien Pritchard, Green
"People are fed-up of politics that are not delivering and is divisive," he said. "People want change and the choice at this election is between alternatives that officers division, nastiness and failure and the Green party which is offering positive alternatives, of real hope and real change for this city. The Green Party is surging nationally and locally. There's a real chance of electing many more Green councillors on 7 May. By voting Green, our councillors will be fighting for communities and bringing hope back to Birmingham. So on May 7, vote Green to give Birmingham hope again."
Shakeel Afsar, Independent Candidate Alliance
"We have seen for far too long that the mainstream parties have done nothing but let us down., whether it's the Conservatives or Labour Party," he said. "We have a time for change. We have a time to bring back politics to grassroots people, to grassroots movements, to bring the power back to the people within the communities. Unfortunately we have seen so many fake promises over the time. Me as a Kashmiri, the largest community outside of Kashmir exists here. It was the Labour Party who did a u-turn on the Kashmiri issue and went and appointed Kier Starmer as the leader of the party."
