2005 result

Sion Simon (Lab) Majority: 9,575 votes. — 118th largest out of 643 MPs. (Standing down at election)

Candidate profiles

Labour –  Jack Dromey
The deputy general secretary of the Unite trade union Jack Dromey is also the husband of Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman. He had also been linked with the Wolverhampton North East seat in 2007 but did not appear on shortlists. He first came to public notice in the mid 1970s at the Grunwick film processing laboratory strikes, which ended in a year-long confrontation and mass picketing.

Conservative – Robert Alden
Born into a very political family Robert Alden followed his parents John and Deidre onto Birmingham City Council, elected at the age of 23 in 2006.
He was the first of a wave of Tories in the Erdington ward to unseat the three Labour councillors and has represented the ward ever since.