As voters prepare to cast their ballots ahead of Thursday’s local elections the Local Democracy Reporting Service looks at key issues and candidates in Dudley.
Polling stations will be open from 7am-10pm with one third of the wards up for grabs. Polling cards should have been delivered at the end of last month and will inform residents of the location of polling stations, along with a map.
The Conservative Party currently hold 45 of the 72 available seats, with Labor behind on 23, however, Partygate and other national issues could affect voting this time round. Conservative leader Patrick Harley is quietly confident of re-election.
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He said: “Having held the seat of Kingswinford South since 2004 my colleagues and myself have achieved a lot within the ward. The overall campaign has gone very well and the main issues that we as councillors can deal with are anti-social behaviour, protecting the greenbelt, regenerating our town centers and investing in our road infrastructure.”
The Conservatives will also be eyeing up Brierley Hill after Councilor Zafar Islam was suspended over social media posts. The elections in Dudley have traditionally been a tight contest but the Conservatives have fared well in recent years.
Labor under Dudley leader Qadar Zada will be anxious to repair some of the losses from last year’s campaign. Councilor Zada said: “Obviously we are not taking anything for granted and it’s really important that we continue all the work that we’ve done over the last 12 months.
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“Where there is a Tory standing in this election we envisage that they would be better off with Labor representation and those are the wards that we are going to target. The Conservatives lied to people, most people spent time away from their families mourning in isolation while they were partying, drinking alcohol and having cake.”
Labor candidates include Hilary Bills, who is back on the ballot paper in Halesowen North after last year’s defeat. Long-standing councilor and former mayor Steve Waltho is standing down in St Thomas’s after serving on Dudley council for 24 years.
In Castle and Priory, Councilor Alan Finch who was mayor in 2013/14 is also stepping down after 18 years and will be replaced by Keiran Casey. As well as national issues local projects such as the new ‘Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre’, Dudley Interchange, the upcoming metro line and the university campus development are sure to play a part.
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