Birmingham Hodge Hill
Apr 23, 2020 14:07:46 GMT
Robert Waller and Delighted Of Tunbridge Wells like this
Post by John Chanin on Apr 23, 2020 14:07:46 GMT
The most interesting thing about this seat is that it has the highest Muslim population in the country - one of three seats at the last census where Muslims were in a majority. It is also exceptionally working class, with the lowest proportion of managerial workers in the whole country, and absolutely the lowest educational qualifications in the country. However this does not mean it is homogeneous - to the contrary. The seat forms a long thin strip extending eastwards from the Rea Valley, opposite the city centre, to the edge of the city (although not the built up area). Birmingham is a very segregated city, and the western end has probably the most concentrated Muslim settlement in the country - mostly Kashmiri and Pakistani - over 80% in Saltley, Alum Rock, and Washwood Heath, and only slightly lower in Bordesley Green and Small Heath. This was one of the core early areas of settlement as people came to work in the extensive industrial area in the Rea valley and alongside the main line railway to Nottingham in the north. The railway runs alongside the M6 and the river Tame, cutting the area off from north Birmingham - there are only two road crossings. Almost the whole area is covered by small terraced housing, mostly owner-occupied, although some of the old houses have been renovated by housing associations. South of the West Coast mainline, which runs through the area in a cutting, is Small Heath and Bordesley Green, added to the undersized seat in 2010. Only half of Small Heath is included in this seat, the council estates on the west side being in Ladywood, and the large mosque, and park where Eid al-Fitr is celebrated being in Yardley. The new ward boundaries which came in locally in 2018 are more sensible. Bordesley Green is a little more varied, with some council housing north of the giant Heartlands Hospital, after which one of the new wards is named. North of the railway is Saltley in the west, Washwood Heath in the north, Alum Rock in the centre, and Ward End to the east. Ward End is slightly less Muslim and east of here is Hodge Hill proper. This is a pleasant owner-occupied area of semi-detached housing on the north side of the river Cole, with probably now a majority Muslim population as families move out from the cramped inner-city housing of Saltley and Alum Rock. The old Hodge Hill ward was evenly split between white and asian households, but the former are concentrated in the large and isolated Bromford council estate, which climbs up the hill from the river Tame to Hodge Hill proper.
On the east end of the seat, separated by the wide flood plain of the river Cole are two very different areas. To the south is Kitts Green and Tile Cross. The former is an area of low-rise council housing with some flats. South of the Meadway is Tile Cross, with its council tower blocks, adjoining the Fordbridge part of the giant Birmingham overspill estate of Chelmsley Wood, now included in Solihull Council. To the north is Shard End which consists almost entirely of post-war terraced council housing, generally a little older vintage than in Tile Cross to the south. It is one of the nicest of Birmingham’s peripheral estates, if like most a bit isolated. The old ward that covered both was 82% white at the 2011 census, with more owner-occupiers than council tenants as a result of extensive right to buy, although still with nearly 40% social renting.
Politically all the wards here are Labour held. However this was the core area of a local Kashmiri Party, the Peoples Justice Party, at the turn of the millennium, who routinely won in Small Heath, and were competitive to the north. They actually held the balance of power on the council in 2003. Birmingham had new wards in 2004, and there was extensive ballot rigging, mostly surrounding postal votes, which inter alia wiped out the PJP. The Labour councillors for the new Bordesley Green ward were subsequently disqualified, and the PJP threw its lot in with the Liberal Democrats. As a result Liberal strength has not faded away here to the same extent as in the Muslim areas to the south of the Grand Union canal. A decade later, Shard End had the highest UKIP vote in the city, although not quite enough to win the seat. Nationally there has been no contest here since Liam Byrne won the seat at a by-election in 2004. He is still the MP, and may remain so following his loss of the election for West Midlands mayor in 2021. He is probably most famous (or infamous) for his 2010 joke on leaving the Treasury, that “I’m afraid there is no money”. This was the 10th safest Labour seat in the country in 2019.
Significant boundary changes are to come here. 28,000 voters (over a third) from the western muslim end of the seat are to be moved to Ladywood and Yardley. In exchange it will get 10,000 voters from the Yardley seat, south of the west coast mainline which forms a hard boundary in east Birmingham. And the seat is to be extended eastwards to take in two wards of Solihull borough, amounting to 18,000 voters. Half of these are in Castle Bromwich - a middle-class, and Conservative voting suburb, that is geographically part of Birmingham anyway, if not administratively, which is a sensible enough decision. However the Boundary Commission are also proposing to split the Chelmsley Wood estate, by moving its northern ward into Hodge Hill, which is decidely less sensible, and undoubtedly breaks local ties. Overall Hodge Hill will cease to be a majority muslim seat, as the voters moved in are over 90% white, and will be a little less working class, losing the seat its present title as the lowest managerial workers and degree holders in the country. However most of the new voters are also working class, and although the majority will drop a little this will still be a very safe Labour seat.
Census data: owner-occupied 54% (492/573 in England & Wales), private rented 15% (251st), social rented 28% (54th).
:White 36%, Black 8%, Sth Asian 44%, Mixed 4%, Other 7%
: Managerial & professional 19% (573rd), Routine & Semi-routine 45% (14th)
: Degree 12% (573rd), Minimal qualifications 55% (1st)
: Students 7% (120th), Over 65: 10% (523rd)
: Muslim 49% (1st)
On the east end of the seat, separated by the wide flood plain of the river Cole are two very different areas. To the south is Kitts Green and Tile Cross. The former is an area of low-rise council housing with some flats. South of the Meadway is Tile Cross, with its council tower blocks, adjoining the Fordbridge part of the giant Birmingham overspill estate of Chelmsley Wood, now included in Solihull Council. To the north is Shard End which consists almost entirely of post-war terraced council housing, generally a little older vintage than in Tile Cross to the south. It is one of the nicest of Birmingham’s peripheral estates, if like most a bit isolated. The old ward that covered both was 82% white at the 2011 census, with more owner-occupiers than council tenants as a result of extensive right to buy, although still with nearly 40% social renting.
Politically all the wards here are Labour held. However this was the core area of a local Kashmiri Party, the Peoples Justice Party, at the turn of the millennium, who routinely won in Small Heath, and were competitive to the north. They actually held the balance of power on the council in 2003. Birmingham had new wards in 2004, and there was extensive ballot rigging, mostly surrounding postal votes, which inter alia wiped out the PJP. The Labour councillors for the new Bordesley Green ward were subsequently disqualified, and the PJP threw its lot in with the Liberal Democrats. As a result Liberal strength has not faded away here to the same extent as in the Muslim areas to the south of the Grand Union canal. A decade later, Shard End had the highest UKIP vote in the city, although not quite enough to win the seat. Nationally there has been no contest here since Liam Byrne won the seat at a by-election in 2004. He is still the MP, and may remain so following his loss of the election for West Midlands mayor in 2021. He is probably most famous (or infamous) for his 2010 joke on leaving the Treasury, that “I’m afraid there is no money”. This was the 10th safest Labour seat in the country in 2019.
Significant boundary changes are to come here. 28,000 voters (over a third) from the western muslim end of the seat are to be moved to Ladywood and Yardley. In exchange it will get 10,000 voters from the Yardley seat, south of the west coast mainline which forms a hard boundary in east Birmingham. And the seat is to be extended eastwards to take in two wards of Solihull borough, amounting to 18,000 voters. Half of these are in Castle Bromwich - a middle-class, and Conservative voting suburb, that is geographically part of Birmingham anyway, if not administratively, which is a sensible enough decision. However the Boundary Commission are also proposing to split the Chelmsley Wood estate, by moving its northern ward into Hodge Hill, which is decidely less sensible, and undoubtedly breaks local ties. Overall Hodge Hill will cease to be a majority muslim seat, as the voters moved in are over 90% white, and will be a little less working class, losing the seat its present title as the lowest managerial workers and degree holders in the country. However most of the new voters are also working class, and although the majority will drop a little this will still be a very safe Labour seat.
Census data: owner-occupied 54% (492/573 in England & Wales), private rented 15% (251st), social rented 28% (54th).
:White 36%, Black 8%, Sth Asian 44%, Mixed 4%, Other 7%
: Managerial & professional 19% (573rd), Routine & Semi-routine 45% (14th)
: Degree 12% (573rd), Minimal qualifications 55% (1st)
: Students 7% (120th), Over 65: 10% (523rd)
: Muslim 49% (1st)
2010 | % | 2015 | % | 2017 | % | 2019 | % | |
Labour | 22,077 | 52.0% | 28,069 | 68.4% | 37,606 | 81.1% | 35,397 | 78.7% |
Conservative | 4,936 | 11.6% | 4,707 | 11.5% | 6,580 | 14.2% | 6,742 | 15.0% |
Liberal Democrat | 11,775 | 27.7% | 2,624 | 6.4% | 805 | 1.7% | 760 | 1.7% |
UKIP/Brexit | 714 | 1.7% | 4,651 | 11.3% | 1,016 | 2.2% | 1,519 | 3.4% |
| Green | 835 | 2.0% | 387 | 0.8% | 328 | 0.7% | ||
BNP | 2,333 | 5.5% | ||||||
Others | 637 | 1.5% | 153 | 0.4% | 257 | 0.6% | ||
Majority | 10,302 | 24.3% | 23,362 | 56.9% | 31,026 | 66.9% | 28,655 | 63.7% |
, whose vans you see around the city.
