By Jane Haynes

Copyright birminghammail

A by-election has been called in Birmingham to fill a vacant council seat following the sudden death of Moseley councillor Kerry Jenkins. It will take place on Thursday 23 October. The vacancy is set to trigger intense campaigning and will be a precursor for what’s ahead in the all-out council elections being held next May, when all 101 city council seats will be contested. Candidates now have just one more day to send in nomination papers, which have to be supported by two Moseley constituents. The deadline is 4pm Friday 26 September. READ MORE: Tributes paid to ‘fierce defender’ of Birmingham’s youth For Labour, the candidate seeking to hold the seat is Stephen Pihlaja, a community activist with a history of campaigning on the real living wage, affordable housing, safety, and migratory justice. A lecturer at Aston University and father of three, he grew up in America but now lives in Harborne . The Conservatives candidate is local resident Nayaz Qazi, campaigning to help clean up the city and balance the beleaguered council’s finances. He is a member of Conservative Friends of India. The Liberal Democrats , who already hold the other Moseley seat on the council through Councillor Izzy Knowles, are hoping to take the second seat. Their candidate is local visually impaired activist Philip Mills. Reform UK have also declared their intention to stand a candidate. That will test out their popularity in an area with a strong history of backing progressive politics. Your Party, The Greens and community independent candidates are also expected to stand with a full list due to be published after nominations close. Councillor Jenkins, a Labour stalwart, union activist and fierce campaigner on youth, inequality and SEND issues, died last month after a short illness. Tributes have been paid from across the community, with her family currently organising a day to celebrate her life. At an emotional full council meeting earlier this month, colleagues described her as a tireless campaigner for social justice. With her family watching on, Kerry was described by her friend Lisa Trickett as “a force to be reckoned with” and “a brilliant councillor, comrade, trade unionist, socialist and friend. But more than anything else, Kerry was about her family…(they were) her world and there were no limits to what she would do to protect and show them how much they were loved each and every day.” READ MORE: Blind resident presses for action on ‘dangerous’ pavement parking in Birmingham While Councillor Alex Yip, for the Conservatives, described her as “a passionate advocator and fierce defender of children and young adults, someone who never shied away from holding the council and many of us to account.” He said: “The constant thread was her belief that local government at its very best is about giving a voice to those who might otherwise go unheard. That shone through in her words, her actions, her principles.” Nomination papers can be obtained from the council headquarters, the Council House, Victoria Square , Birmingham and returned by no later than 4pm on Friday, September 26. There are strict rules about who can vote and what residents need to do to ensure they have a say. New voters must register with the council to vote by Tuesday 7 October. To have a postal vote, residents must apply by 5pm on Wednesday 8 October.