Sean Welsh & Ahmed Lul Dirie reporting
With the general election a month away (Thursday 12 December), here are the candidates for each party in Ladywood.
As a constituency, Ladywood has voted for Labour since 1970 (with the only non-Labour MP having went independent during her term).
Local people also strongly voted in favour of remaining in the EU during the 2016 referendum.
A highly diverse area, 40.5% of Ladywood citizens are from Asian backgrounds, with 39.7% of the total population aging 18-35.
Labour: Shabana Mahmood
Shabana Mahmood is the current Labour MP for Ladywood, and is running again in 2019 to maintain her seat.
She was one of the first female Muslim MPs in the UK. She was initially elected in 2010 General Election, and has retained her seat.
In early May, she attracted criticism from fellow party members and the general public when she commented on LGBT education in schools – raising questions over the ‘age appropriateness’ of same-sex education.
Lib Dems: Lee Dargue
Lee Dargue is the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Ladywood.
His focus is largely on mental health and social care, and is a campaigner for drug reform.
Lee Dargue is also the West Midlands health spokesman for the Lib Dems.
He has a website where he outlines his policies, and where he writes articles frequently.
Greens: Alex Nettle
Alex Nettle is the Green Party’s candidate for Ladywood.
Previously running for the Greens in Edgbaston, and is a vocal proponent of clean energy and affordable housing.
Alex also serves as the Press Officer for the Young Greens, and has been highly critical of the Liberal Democrat’s climate policies.
He is currently in his third year of university, studying politics at the University of Birmingham.
With the Green Party seeking funds to have candidates in all constituencies of Birmingham, they have turned to crowdfunding in order to finance their campaign.
Renew: Julie McGuigan
Running for the Renew party, Julie McGuinan is a solicitor working in residential development.
The Renew party are a newly-established left-wing party, who want to hold a second referendum on Brexit, and support welfare reform and the growth of small communities.
Julie supports funding for education, and helping the less fortunate.
She runs a charity helping give interview clothing to the unemployed, and can be found on Twitter.