As part of our 2018 Local Election coverage, we have contacted each candidate standing in 16 wards across South West Birmingham, asking them to contribute to this election’s ’500 Words’ series.
Each candidate has been invited to describe themselves and their campaigns in their own words. Their submissions will be published – without editing – in the order that they are received. Should they be longer than 500 words, they will be cropped.
With the formation of new wards across the city, this is an all-out election, with every seat up for grabs. Some wards have one seat and some have two. Learn more about the ward changes and your candidates.
Our latest submission comes from the Liberal Democrat candidate for Allens Cross ward, where one seat is being decided: Dr Claire Fielden.
Cleaner, Greener, Safer is the key message from the Liberal Democrats in Birmingham.
Cleaner: I am committed to ensuring that Allens Cross does not become an area of grime. The Liberal Democrats will change the way bins are collected in Birmingham. Remember “Bin-Gate”, the bin strike under the Labour-led Council? Bins not being emptied for weeks? Rubbish piling up on the streets? Rats and insects? As well as being costly (this strike cost the Council around £7m), who wants to live in a dirty street? Not me, and I’m sure not you. Also, we say NO to flytipping. We will collect bulky items for FREE. We say YES to recycling and clean streets, which will create local job opportunities. We want to work with communities to bring back a sense of pride in where we live.
Greener: I want Allens Cross to be a Green place to live. The Labour council is failing massively to meet National recycling targets: it only recycles 23%! This is NOT good enough. The Liberal Democrats are committed increasing recycling. We will bring back green bags for garden waste. You may have noticed that the council is cutting corners in the way it looks after its parks. The Liberal Democrats believe that green spaces are essential for personal health and wellbeing, for exercise for picnics for just being outdoors in the fresh air. We intend to reverse the cuts currently being made to parks in Birmingham, placing green spaces at the heart of our community.
Safer: I am committed to making the streets of Allens Cross safe. The Liberal Democrats want to see police back out on the streets. We want an end to police station closures and more police community support officers. We will tackle the problem of abandoned vehicles. We want to make the roads safer by giving YOU the power to choose where you want road safety measures, such as speed checks. We plan to improve road maintenance by working more effectively with Amey. We will work hard to reduce traffic congestion by improving local transport. We are pushing for a Brummie Bus Ticket to make bus travel cheaper. We will NOT introduce charges to drive your car into the city. We are committed to tackling homelessness and “hidden” homelessness (where families have their homes taken away from them and are forced to move around whilst their case is being “sorted”). We will fight for our schools and push for more apprenticeship and training opportunities for our children and young people.
We have seen the chaos and the breakdown of basic services under the current Tory Government and the Labour-led local council. It is time for change in Birmingham. We want to bring the power back to the people. We are proud to live in Birmingham. Let’s make our city proud of us!
Vote Liberal Democrats on 3rd May 2018.
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