BirminghamLive hosted the largest hustings event in the city so far ahead of the 2026 local elections. Seven prospective leaders participated in the Birmingham City Council 2026 election hustings held at the Brindleyplace offices.
Candidate Lineup
The candidates who took part were Shakeel Afsal (Independent), Robert Alden (Conservative), John Cotton (Labour), Roger Harmer (Liberal Democrats), Nosheen Khalid (Independent), Jex Parkin (Reform UK), and Julien Pritchard (Green). They engaged in a lively debate, responding to questions from BirminghamLive readers on topics including road crime, waste collection, the local economy, and social division within the city.
Event Hosting
The hustings were chaired by Jane Haynes, BirminghamLive's people and politics editor. A full list of candidates is available online.
Highlights from the Hustings
Below are images capturing key moments from the event on April 23:
- Robert Alden (Conservative) speaking during the hustings
- Jex Parkin (Reform UK) addressing the audience
- Nosheen Khalid (Independent) making her points
- Host Jane Haynes guiding the discussion
- Shakeel Afsal (Independent) responding to questions
- Julien Pritchard (Green) outlining his policies
- Akhmed Yaqoob in the audience
- Liberal Democrat leader Roger Harmer speaking
- John Cotton (Labour) sharing his vision
For more information on the candidates and the 2026 local elections, stay tuned to BirminghamLive.
