The first of many dramatic moments unfolded as Birmingham Live readers put the candidates vying to lead the city council to the test at a live hustings event. Labour leader John Cotton surprised everyone when he raised his hand to agree that he would reintroduce weekly bin collections if re-elected.
This came as a shock given that, under his leadership, the council had just overseen a costly restructure of waste services, including a controversial switch to alternating fortnightly collections of waste and recycling. His unexpected response occurred during the first quickfire statement of the day at the Big Birmingham Live local election hustings.
Panelists were asked to raise their hands if they would reintroduce weekly waste collections if elected to lead the city after the May 7 local elections. Councillor Cotton was among six panelists who said they would do so. Fortnightly collections are expected to start this summer.
Host Jane Haynes, Birmingham Live politics and people editor, highlighted Cotton's raised hand as surprising, having earlier confirmed that panelists understood they were backing a return to weekly bin collections. Due to the quickfire nature of the round, Cotton did not have a chance to elaborate. An aide later suggested he might have misinterpreted the question.
Other Candidates and Responses
Green Party local leader Julien Pritchard was the only panelist who said his party would not support returning to weekly collections. The move to alternate collections is already in the pipeline and has been agreed by the current Labour Cabinet.
Those who said they would reintroduce weekly waste collections, besides Cotton, were Reform UK's Jex Parkin, Liberal Democrats' Roger Harmer, Conservatives' Robert Alden, and Independents Shakeel Afsar and Nosheen Khalid.
During the 75-minute hustings, held at Birmingham Live HQ on Thursday, April 23, a series of quickfire questions were posed to the panelists, who represented the main parties contesting 101 seats and the right to run the city council. The council oversees a £4 billion annual budget and provides services for 1.2 million people.
The panelists included Robert Alden (Conservatives), John Cotton (Labour), Roger Harmer (Liberal Democrats), Jex Parkin (Reform UK), and Julien Pritchard (Greens). Two representatives of the multiple Independents standing for election also participated: Shakeel Afsar, who set up the Independent Candidates Alliance, and Nosheen Khalid, an unaffiliated candidate in Alum Rock.
Quickfire Statements and Results
- Statement: You and your group would reintroduce weekly waste collections. Hands raised: Parkin (Reform UK), Harmer (Liberal Democrats), Alden (Conservatives), Khalid (Independent), Afsar (Independent), Cotton (Labour).
- Statement: HS2 is vital to Birmingham's economic future and worth the turmoil and cost. Agreed: Harmer (Liberal Democrats), Cotton (Labour).
- Statement: The council should work to reduce speed limits on all residential streets to 20mph. Agreed: Pritchard (Green Party).
- Statement: Putting up flags in our streets and neighbourhoods is harmless and patriotic. Agreed: Parkin (Reform UK), Alden (Conservatives).
- Statement: Children and young people should be taught that it's okay to be gay. All raised hands except: Afsar (Independent).
The hustings event was part of comprehensive coverage of the local elections in Birmingham, with political and community reporting experts providing information, insight, and analysis ahead of polling day on May 7. Neighbouring councils including Sandwell, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Walsall, and Coventry will also go to the polls.
The future leadership of Birmingham City Council, the largest local authority in Europe, has attracted national attention, with a wave of independents, the rise of Reform, and a resurgent Green Party expected to challenge the traditional parties' hold on the council.
