Protest votes and illegal immigration drove town away from Labour

Like most wards in Sandwell, Blackheath has had Labour councillors representing residents for five decades.

All that has changed after last week's local election, when Reform UK trounced the competition, ending 47 years of Labour control.

The party took all three seats in Blackheath, including that of former council leader Kerrie Carmichael.

Nigel Farage's party is now preparing for its first Sandwell Council meetings, where new councillors will get to grips with issues like road maintenance, social care and parking.

In Blackheath on Monday, voters said frustrations with the government and Reform's tough stance on illegal immigration is what led them away from the status quo locally.

"Sandwell's had enough of broken promises," Noel Kelly told the BBC.

"I agree with immigration - our doctors, our nurses, our healthcare, they're mostly [made up of] immigrants.

"That's fantastic, because they're doing it legally. But these people coming over on the boats and the government don't know who they are yet - they're being spread as far as afield as Newcastle down to Portsmouth."

His was a protest vote against the Labour party nationally.

"I don't think Reform is the way forward, but we've got to get somebody in who's going to say 'no more lies'."

Binman Harry Archer said it had been "lie after lie, scandal after scandal" with the Labour government, which he said had "let everybody down".

"I don't like all this migration, all these people stopping in hotels," he added.

"I hope Reform will change that, there's no evidence to say that they will, but hopefully they will do something a bit better about it."

Kier Starmer has faced calls from some of his own MPs to step down following the disaster for Labour in the local elections.

He has declared he is still the man for the job - and has vowed to win back support from voters.

Overall in Sandwell, Labour lost 37 seats, the Tories lost six, the Green Party gained two and one independent seat was held.

Michael Cooper, a market trader of over 40 years is among the new Reform councillors in Blackheath, joined by Mona Khurana and Dave Williams.

After his win, a jubilant Cooper described said it had been a "difficult battle" that was not personal.

He said he had received a "fantastic response" from locals "and that made it worthwhile".

"They've supported me, and I feel now it's time for me now to do the same for them."

His priorities were now to be "transparent and accessible", he added.

Jo Egan backed Cooper due to his long service working at the town's market and already being rooted in the community.

"Obviously he's going to do good for us," she said.

"He knows all about Blackheath, what he doesn't know is not worth knowing so you've got to move forward, haven't you."

Following her defeat, Carmichael posted on Facebook to thank all those who supported her.

"I have lived here all my life - it's a great place to live, and I hope that continues," she said.

She also said she had encountered "genuinely offensive and poor behaviour" on the campaign trail.

Of the new councillors, she said they had "made pledges to help with the cost of living, increase visible policing to tackle antisocial behaviour, improve roads and potholes, provide local homes for local people, oppose inappropriate HMOs and help with PTSD".

"I look forward to seeing the policies already in place being improved upon," she added.

A man called Martin told the BBC he saw a video on TikTok about the state of British politics.

"It was saying, in the next few years, Reform aren't the party to lead the country, then the country could be a complete crumble compared to other countries and it probably be better if Reform were the party to step in to change it," he added.

He said he thought the party could benefit the UK, but was circumspect about how successful they could be in Sandwell.

"There's obviously pros and cons to it, but it's how the party do with the community," he said.

Sandwell's next full council meeting takes place on 26 May.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.