Birmingham: Labour holds seat in Erdington by-electionon March 4, 2022 at 1:21 am

Labour has held on to its Birmingham Erdington seat.

Paulette Hamilton, the Birmingham City Council cabinet member for health and social care, polled 9,413 votes, 55% of ballots cast.

Ms Hamilton has become Birmingham’s first black MP, as Labour increased its vote share from 50.3% in 2019.

The by-election was held following the death of veteran MP Jack Dromey, 73, in January, who had held the seat since 2010.

Twelve candidates stood in the election and the turnout was 27%, compared to 53% in the 2019 general election.

Robert Alden, Conservative leader at the city council, had been vying to become the first Tory MP for the constituency since 1936.

He won 6,147, or 36% of votes, giving Ms Hamilton, a nurse of 25 years, a majority of 3,266.

In her victory speech, Ms Hamilton said she was “exhausted but delighted” and revealed her father had died just as her campaign started.

She thanked her Labour colleagues for their support.

“But I’d also like to say a special thank you to Kier Starmer for his endless support – even when my dad died, they were there, they wrapped me in cotton wool, and they supported me, and my dad isn’t even buried yet but they were there when I was crying”

Thanking her family and campaign team, she also gave thanks to police and council staff for the “smooth-running” of the count operation.

“I know it’s a lot of work that often goes unmentioned, so thank you for your endless professionalism and commitment to the democratic process,” she added.

“Something I think we all treasure even more following the events in Europe.”

She said she was “truly humbled and honoured” to be elected.

Addressing voters, she said:”I will not take your vote for granted, I have met many of you and I have heard what you have to say and I commit to you now, I will work for you; for Erdington, for Castle Vale, and for Kingstanding.

“I have made promises to you I intend to keep and I cannot wait to get started and I will be your voice in Westminster and challenge this Government to get a better deal for Erdington.

“It’s what we deserve, it’s what you deserve and the work starts now to get it done.”

Prior to the election, Conservative MPs Tom Hunt and Gary Sambrook had called on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to suspend Ms Hamilton, following comments she made at an event titled “The Ballot or the Bullet – Does your vote count?” in 2015 about increasing ethnic minorities’ representation in politics.

Mr Hunt added she should have the party whip withdrawn if she was elected.

A Labour spokesman said: “In Paulette, the people of Birmingham Erdington have elected a great local champion.

“We’re delighted that this campaign has seen the first black MP elected from a Birmingham constituency.”

Some 17,016 ballots had been cast in the election, in an electorate of 62,996, with twelve candidates standing.

Mr Dromey, a shadow minister married to fellow Labour MP Harriet Harman, had made his name in politics through the union movement, as a leading figure in the Transport and General Workers’ Union, which later became Unite.

In the 2019 General Election, he had won the seat with 17,720, or 50%, of votes cast

A by-election is held when a seat becomes vacant when an MP resigns or dies, is declared bankrupt, takes a seat in the House of Lords or is convicted of a serious criminal offence.

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