'Don't split the right!' - Dudley candidate plea to Farage
'Don't split the right!' - Dudley candidate plea to Farage
Plus: Two elephants arrive in the West Mids
Dear Patchers — Welcome to your Wednesday briefing.
A Dudley politician is making national headlines after calling on Nigel Farage, now leader of Reform UK and standing to be MP of Clacton in Essex, to stand down candidates so as not to split the Conservative vote. The face of Brexit, Farage made the news when he kickstarted his campaign on Monday, only to receive a milkshake to the face on Tuesday (a woman has since been arrested on suspicion of assault).
We also have news on Birmingham Airport, a Benjamin Zephaniah exhibition and the new arrivals at West Midlands Safari Park. Plus: some live jazz and an upcoming vintage sale.
Take care. Dan.
Brum in Brief
📢Longhi calls on Farage: Marco Longhi, the Conservative candidate for Dudley, has called on Nigel Farage to stand down Reform candidates in ‘red wall’ seats. He says the struggle between Conservatives and other right wing parties “will almost certainly deliver a left-wing government”. The crucial bit of Longhi’s public bid, as reported in The Times, is that Farage will have no one to build a coalition with if Reform and Conservative candidates appeal to the same type of voter. “Nigel is a hugely talented politician. He should have been given recognition for what he has delivered over the past couple of decades,” he said before lamenting that the right wing split will only bring about the “opposite of what we both want”. Crux of the story is as above but extended Longhi quotes in The Times [behind a paywall].
🎨Zephaniah exhibition: A free exhibition in Victoria Square will celebrate the late writer and poet Benjamin Zephaniah throughout July. From the 5th-31st of that month, Brummies can listen to poetry recitals of the Handsworth-born artist's work and see an exhibition of black-and-white photographs of him. “Through talent and sheer determination, Benjamin Zephaniah proved what was possible and claimed the title, ‘Son of Birmingham’,” said photographer Pogus Caesar, who is co-curating the show with art historian Ruth Millington. Full details.
✈️Birmingham Airport concerns: Much has been made of Birmingham Airport’s (BHX) £60m security hall upgrade — especially as holidaymakers have faced huge queues in recent busy periods. Indeed, BHX boss Nick Barton says the upgrade will result in speedier security processes thanks to new scanners. However, a regular BHX traveller worries that it won’t cut down queues. Speaking to BirminghamLive, commuter Mark McCarron questioned if airport users will still have to queue outside. “It’s slowed down due to everyone having to go through the body scanners,” he said. Full story and the latest on BHX rules for using the terminal.
🐘New elephants at Safari Park: West Midland Safari Park has seen the arrival of two new African elephants — an operation that has taken more than a year of planning. Suzy and Gitana arrived last Thursday with their keepers from Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium. “After nearly a year in planning, all of the elephant keeping team are delighted with [their safe arrival] which has doubled our herd numbers overnight," said Andy Plumb, head keeper of elephants, noting the importance of the initial bonding between the big-eared occupants and their new companions. Full heart-warming story here.
🎺Mid-week Orchestra: The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has teamed up with Hockey Social Club to bring their Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra to the stage this evening. From Cuban vibes to salsa sounds, for a fiver Brummies can get a night of dancing and feel good music. Street food also available. Book here.
👚Cov goes Vintage: For those wanting a vintage bargain, this Saturday the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry is holding an all day antique and vintage market. Promising to offer deals on retro clothing from across the twentieth century, I can also confirm the Belgrade bar and café cakes are out of this world. Worth considering. Tickets at a click.
We travelled through BHX at 7am on Monday. Was absolutely fine. Clearly work ongoing, and some ragged edges, but was by no means a disaster. Evidently the views of a regular traveller will trump the knowledge of the engineers that designed it, though 🤷♂️
More seriously, though, ‘The crucial bit of Longhi’s public bid, as reported in The Times, is that Farage will have no one to build a coalition with if Reform and Conservative candidates appeal to the same type of voter’ — I think what Longhi and similar don’t understand is that as far as the people actively voting for Reform and those considering voting for Reform are concerned, the current Conservative government is also a left wing government, so as far as they’re concerned there’s no danger in Labour winning the election.
See also: George Galloway and his characterisation of Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak as being two cheeks of the same arse.
There is no value now for mainstream Labour or Conservatives trying to appeal to the further left or the further right, those boats have both left the wharf, because both further left and further right have proved themselves to be never satisfied, and in the case of the further left, never electable. They need to stand up for themselves and assert their respective distinctivenesses and values as being slightly left and slightly right.