The Battle for Brockmoor and Pensnett
Amidst declining living standards, an unpopular Labour government and scandal in Dudley Council, do the forces of populism have an inroad? Or will the two-party system hold?
Dear Patchers – today’s story is about the nature of by-elections. Are they merely chances to register a local protest vote or real opportunities to test the mood of the country? Today a ward in Dudley, Brockmoor and Pensnett, declares the result of its recent by-election after the resignation of its councillor, plunging national polls for Labour and several controversial policy decisions around winter fuel allowance and pensions. The result of yesterday’s by-election is backgrounded by fierce interpersonal disputes between Dudley councillors: who’ve accused each other of bad behaviour. At another level, this council by-election is an early test of the Reform party’s mettle, can they capitalise on apathy, anger and decline in what is an impoverished and elderly ward? Will they be a competitive force in the so-called Red Wall, not just the Tory Home Counties? The short answer is: sort of…
Reform surged in the polls to second place, taking 30.1% of the vote, creating a tight three-way race that allowed the Conservatives to overtake Labour and win the seat on 35.4% of the polls. However, the turnout was a dismal 15.7% (down 6% from the last election). This begs the question: are Reform’s hopes in the West Midlands tied to an expectation that only the old and dedicated come out to vote? For now, it seems that the majority of Brockmoor and Pensnett residents, rather than flocking to the populist ranks of Reform or hunkering down with the main two parties, are, instead, feeling actively anti-political: staying in their homes and avoiding the electoral winds.
First, your Brum in Brief 👇
Brum in brief
🗑️ A new ‘Winter of Discontent’ for Birmingham? Over 350 bin workers in the city have voted to strike over pay and working conditions. The vote comes after Birmingham City Council (BCC) decided to downgrade around 170 roles, costing said staff, on average, £8000 a year. On Tuesday, talks between Unite the Union and BCC broke down over these pay reductions. “Unite is not prepared to see its workers face a huge pay cut, nor will it allow the council to recklessly cut safety-critical roles,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham. The Dispatch talked to those with knowledge of the strikes who claim that there is a strong desire within the council to agree with striking workers to avoid a walkout. However, our source claims, that lead commissioner Max Caller is standing firm and refusing to give leeway, much to the chagrin of Labour leader John Cotton. A spokesperson for BCC told The Dispatch that: “we don’t comment on anonymous sources. However, all correct procedures are being followed during the council’s negotiations with the union.”
🏎️ A mechanical engineer at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has blown the whistle over safety concerns relating to an electric car model they were developing for a client. The corporation that owns the car company reportedly tried to force the leaker out. JLR is based in the West Midlands, headquartered in Coventry, and is owned by the Indian corporation Tata Group. The engineer, Hazar Denli, had raised concerns about the electric Vinfast car on Reddit, citing test drives at Mira Technology Park near Nuneaton. At low speeds, the chassis of the vehicle and suspension system often broke. An earlier model of the Vinfast car in the US has already had numerous safety concerns raised and resulted in one fatal crash due to defects. Denli requested to be moved off the Vinfast development project after his concerns had been ignored, but his request to Tata Technologies (TT), a consultancy wing of the corporation based in Leamington Spa, was rejected. Consequently, Denli moved over to work through a contract for JLR. After Denli spoke out on Reddit and was terminated from employment, he found he was also blacklisted on industry recruitment site Magnit. Denli is now taking JLR to an employment tribunal.
😟 The national health and safety watchdog is set to launch an official inspection into the management of stress at the University of Birmingham. The University College Union submitted a complaint to the Health and Safety Executive in the summer, claiming that stress has been the single largest cause of illness-related absence at the university since 2020 — but no stress risk assessments have been produced by heads of colleges. A letter from the HSE to the university on 12 December said that almost all of its “stated control measures are tertiary” or “lagging measures that deal with stress once it has become a problem.”
Things to do
Saturday:
🕯️What’s more Christmassy than Vienna? This Dispatch writer has concluded very little. So one might as well welcome Advent by bringing Vienna to Brum. Catch a night of classical Viennese music at Birmingham Cathedral on Saturday. Strauss and Brahms dominate the candlelit concert with songs like ‘Die Fledermaus Overture,’ and ‘’Hungarian Dance No. 5.’ Tickets start at £22.38. Doors at 19:30.
🎻 The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is holding a Christmas concert at Symphony Hall. The schedule blends classical standards with cinematic favourites, juxtaposing Slade with Tchaikovsky. Conducted by Tim Redmond, with guest vocals by Louise Dearman. Tickets start at £26. Doors open at 7:00 pm.
Sunday:
🍷 We here at The Dispatch are sceptical of additive gimmicky entertainment. Mostly, a drink by itself is quite enough. But, on this, we’ll concede. Go watch It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) at the Crescent Theatre this Sunday with The Wine Events Company and guzzle down several glasses of burgundy while you do so. If you’re not careful, by the end of the night you’ll be talking in one of those weird golden-age, mid-Atlantic, Hollywood accents. Doors at 16:00. Tickets from £28.
🕺Snobs, on whom we reported a few weeks back, is holding its ‘Christmas Carnival.’ This promises to be a ‘full venue transformation.’ You’ll have to like late nights to find out what this implies. Doors at 10:30 pm. Tickets from £4.
The Battle for Brockmoor and Pensnett
By Dan Cave and Josh Neicho
“Get Labour out.” “It’s time for a change.” “Nobody will be getting my vote, I’m telling you now.” In the final days of campaigning for the Brockmoor & Pensnett by-election, residents that The Dispatch have spoken to have made their sentiments clear — those who knew there was a by-election happening, that is.
Following a hushed count in a former Covid vaccination centre last night, Conservative candidate Alex Dale claimed victory. He was followed by Reform’s Richard Tasker, with Labour’s Karen Jordan closely beaten into third place. Less than five months after the Conservatives were routed in the general election, with Dudley’s three constituencies (post-boundary change) captured by Labour, the Tories are back in one of the borough’s poorest and, of late, most Labour-leaning wards.
Dale, who has been open about how nervous he has been all campaign, is relieved. But he’s aware that with just 561 votes on a 15.7% turnout, this was hardly a resounding thumbs-up for the Tories and their beleaguered council leadership. The Conservatives remain a minority administration, with a Unity group and Independent ex-Tory councillor Shaun Keasey holding the balance of power.
Dale also recognises the assistance he had from Reform's 485 votes. “Reform split the [Labour] vote,” he says. “We have to take that seriously.” But for now, the three big campaign issues of saving green spaces, Winter Fuel Payments and the High Oak surgery issue will take centre stage. “We have to make those [promises] count, we have to sort it out,” he says.
In Reform candidate Richard Tasker’s view, it’s difficult to break the two-party stranglehold, despite national polls suggesting a Reform surge. “The Tories have more money, but I enjoyed the campaign,” he says. Campaign manager Andrew Southall, Dudley’s interim Reform chair, is keen to build on the momentum. “We’re gutted in the short term, but we’ve shown we’re here to be taken seriously,” he says. “We had horns blasting for us as we campaigned.”
Why was there a by-election in Dudley on the brink of Christmas? A month ago, veteran Labour councillor and deputy group leader Judy Foster, who had represented Brockmoor for 20 years and other wards going back to 1998, announced her resignation over safety concerns.
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