In 1964 Smethwick was the scene of the most racist election in British history. Tory MP Peter Griffiths was elected on the slogan "If you want a n***** for a neighbour, vote Labour."
Last year, 60 yrs on Labour's Gurinder Singh Josan became the first person of colour to be elected MP for Smethwick.

An all-out strike action by bin collectors began on 11 March in #Birmingham, after @unitetheunion.bsky.social members claimed workers would face losing up to £8,000.
Adrian is now working a second job in a pub to make ends meet.

Bin workers have been on full-strike action since March. Adrian told @journomaryamq.bsky.social “I broke down in tears with my gaffer saying I couldn’t make a decision. I couldn't even think straight, my mind was not in any fit state."
@unitetheunion.bsky.social @roswynnejones.bsky.social

I first met Coleen and Sonny in 2019, when she launched the amazing Colour of Love project telling the stories of interracial marriages in the 80s.
Read some of the brave stories here.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Daughter Coleen told me it was down to lack of internal communication at Nottingham City Hospital, social services & #NHS Continuing Healthcare. She says Sonny, who has dementia, deteriorated. He is one of 30,000 who experienced delayed discharge. Now the Gov promises to fix it!

Daughter Coleen told @journomaryamq.bsky.social there was a lack of internal communication at Nottingham City Hospital & failures by social services: "The whole system is so bad.They just kept saying he needed to go into a care home, but dad was adamant he didn’t want to."
@roswynnejones.bsky.social

The hospice is facing severe financial challenges - with a £100k NI bill.
Katie & Tom’s daughter Leia has mitochondrial disease & severe epilepsy. They told me, “Noah’s Ark supports my whole family. It is not a luxury, the hospice is a lifeline.” @mirror.co.uk

Child poverty currently affects around 4.5 million children – yet last week’s Spending Review saw no mention of lifting the two-child benefit cap or other measures that could dramatically shift the dial on child poverty.

I headed to meet @floodmary.bsky.social at one of her advice clinics. Her flood-mobile is kitted with props to demonstrate how people can protect their homes at cost-effective ways. Simple things like covering air bricks with aluminium tape stops water coming through.
In today’s @mirror.co.uk

The charity’s parent project Himmah has received a “significant donation” by Prince Harry – 4 yrs after wife Meghan donated £10,000.
@roswynnejones.bsky.social @mirror.co.uk

Despite a national rise in antisemitism & Islamophobia linked to the war in Gaza & Oct 7 attacks, the project has kept going. "We couldn't shy away, because people felt so different about things. But we came together & we united on humanity. What we’re doing here is what counts"- co-chair Ferzana.

It began as a community meal for 30, now serves weekly dinner for over 100 people, 700 takeaway meals are handed out & 500 bags of groceries given monthly.
@journomaryamq.bsky.social visited the #Nottingham project, which was set up to bring their communities together, @roswynnejones.bsky.social