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An election was triggered after much-loved councillor Kerry Jenkins, who represented Labour in Moseley, died in July following a short illness. The vote was held on Thursday (October 23) with the bins strike, the council’s financial crisis and fears over Reform’s “divisive” politics being among the major talking points in the build-up. Candidate Philip Mills will now be the second Liberal Democrat councillor in Moseley after he ended up winning the by-election with 1,634 votes. Labour’s Stephen Pihlaja came in second with 1,149 votes and third place went to independent Carol Williams, who received 923 votes. Following the results, the Liberal Democrats argued that “extremes on both right and left” had failed to convince candidates. Prior to the election, Philip Mills said he wanted to hold the Labour council to account over the financial crisis and enforcement of pavement parking. Mr Mills, a finance director for national charity LionHeart, also wants to tackle dangerous driving; work with local police to tackle anti-social behaviour and attract investment with the help of community groups. “I’m incredibly pleased and honoured that the people of Moseley have voted to put their trust in me and the Liberal Democrats,” he said. “I will get to work immediately along with my colleague Councillor Izzy Knowles and continue to deliver for the people and businesses of Moseley. “After the years of incompetence and failures, it is clear that it is the Liberal Democrats who are bringing the fight to an incompetent and worn-out Labour-run council and can deliver the change Birmingham so desperately needs.” Councillor Roger Harmer, leader of the Liberal Democrat group at the council, said: “At this by-election, it has been confirmed that the extremes on both right and left have failed to convince the voters, who clearly value competence, years of experience and true dedication that delivers for them. “It is now clear Labour cannot hold power in Birmingham.” He continued: “It is also clear that Reform’s chaos and divisive politics have been rejected overwhelmingly by people here. “Next May, there is no ceiling on the Liberal Democrats’ ambition in Birmingham. If you want real change for Birmingham, join us today.” The Conservatives today argued that a vote for Reform “just lets Labour back in”. The party’s candidate Nayaz Qazi said: “Congratulations to Philip on his victory and thank you to everyone who voted Conservative. “It’s clear that only the Local Conservatives have a plan to keep weekly bin collections, clean up the city and balance the books”. Amid concerns over its politics, Reform has previously insisted that it wants to show it would represent people of all backgrounds and faiths. Several issues and missteps have contributed to the financial crisis at Labour-run Birmingham City Council, including the equal pay debacle, inadequate budget setting, poor service management, demand led pressures and the disastrous implementation of a new IT system. Labour councillors have also repeatedly highlighted the impact of funding cuts during the previous Conservative Government. The bins strike continues to drag on, with striking workers raising concerns about pay while the council’s leadership has repeatedly insisted a “fair and reasonable” offer had been made. An all-out city council election will be held next May.
