Labour go all out to snatch seat

Sep 19 2007 By Neil Elkes, Birminmgham Mail

VOTERS go to the polls in Birmingham's Brandwood ward tomorrow to choose a successor to the late Coun Ken Hardeman.

The final day of campaigning has seen Labour making a concerted effort to wrest the seat from the Conservatives.

Candidate Mike Leddy, a former city transport chief, was out on the stump with Labour's newest MP, Quentin Davies.

Mr Davies is the former Tory who swapped sides earlier this year, critical of David Cameron's leadership.

He said: "Brandwood needs better services. It needs better representation. It needs a councillor who will deal with the bread and butter issues of improving Brandwood's rubbish collections, sorting out graffiti, dealing with anti-social behaviour and making the confused re-cycling scheme better."

Front runner is seasoned Tory campaigner Ken Axford, husband of Billesley's Coun Susan Axford.

Coun Hardeman, a Tory member of the city cabinet, died two months ago.

The candidates are:

Ken Axford, of Fox Hollies Road, Hall Green (Con); Keith Axon, of Anerley Grove, Kingstanding (New Nationalist Party); Frank Chance, of Dawberry Road, Kings Heath (Ind); Francois Jones, of Oxford Road, Moseley (UKIP); Mike Leddy, of Dyas Avenue, Great Barr (Lab); Anna Masters, of Bournville Lane, Bournville (Green); Brian Pearce, of Waldrons Moor, Kings Heath (Lib Dem) and Robert Purcell, of Hazelwood Court, Acocks Green (BNP).