As part of our 2024 General Election coverage, we have contacted each candidate standing in Northfield, Bromsgrove, Edgbaston and Selly Oak constituencies asking them to contribute to this election’s ‘500 Words’ series. We have also asked the same of each candidate in the local council by-elections for Northfield and Kings Norton North wards.
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.
Simon Phipps • Conservative • Birmingham Selly Oak
I’m proud to have been born, raised, lived and worked in our amazing region all my life. For the last nine years I’ve worked in local communities to represent them, never being afraid of getting stuck in and taking a hands-on approach to improve the area I serve.
There is nothing more rewarding than serving the area you love, so I am absolutely honoured to have been selected to stand in an area with such rich communities as the Birmingham Selly Oak constituency.
I have a plan to make our area a better place to live and work. From giving residents more control over what is happening on their local roads, to protecting our green spaces from unauthorised traveller encampments – your priorities are my priorities.
I’ve heard from lots of local people who feel ignored by the local council, whose financial woes are starting to hit residents in the form of hiked council tax bills. None more so that the residents in Druids Heath who are under threat of being moved from their homes with no guarantees of ever being allowed to return.
The imposition of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and blanket 20mph zones, often without sufficient local support, is another example where people just don’t feel listened to.
I have a track record of speaking out and making sure that local residents are not ignored. If elected, my first and foremost duty will be to make sure you have a voice.
Contrast this with the other offer in this election. Someone with no links or ties with our area, who isn’t able to understand what local people need and want.
Decades of Labour representation has failed to deliver for our area. Just look what they’ve done to our City Council. If this is what they can do to Birmingham, imagine what they’ll do to our country.
The choice in this election couldn’t be any starker and there is only one true local choice.
A vote for me will be a vote to give you more control over what happens in your local community.
A vote for me will be a vote to take the campaign to stop unauthorised traveller encampments on our parks and open spaces straight to Parliament.
A vote for me will be a vote to bring taxes down on working families and create more jobs for young people with the expansion of the apprenticeship programme.
A vote for me will be a vote to tackle illegal immigration and bring legal migration down to more sustainable levels.
A vote for me will be a vote to make sure that Selly Oak constituency, from Bournville to Billesley, is no longer ignored by the Labour representatives that have failed local communities.
On 4th July, Birmingham Selly Oak has the chance to elect a strong, visible, accountable Member of Parliament, with an unbeatable track record of action. I hope you can entrust me with your vote.
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Hustings
A chance to hear directly from your candidates, any hustings we are aware of will be listed below. Please let us know of any not listed.
How wonderful for Selly Oak to have a real West Midlander who knows what’s really going on here and who was chosen by the Selly Oak Party instead of someone who was dropped in here 5 or so weeks ago ago without consulting the locals and who probably didn’t even know Selly Oak existed up until then. Good too that Simon has experience in representing people as a councillor and knows how to carry out such a job by consulting them and speaking for them rather than giving orders to them. Good luck to Simon and I hope Selly Oak people see why you would represent them so successfully.