Reform UK candidate wants less talk on immigration

Erin Crawford admitted she would like to hear Reform UK's leader discuss other issues and not just highlight immigration

A Reform UK candidate has admitted she would personally like to hear Nigel Farage speak more about other key issues rather than just immigration.

Erin Crawford, the party's candidate for Birmingham Selly Oak, made the admission during an appearance on Politics Midlands.

She told the programme that the party was not "just focused on immigration" and voters had voiced concerns over the NHS and tax.

When asked if she would like to hear Mr Farage discuss other key issues, she said "personally, yes," before adding "but he has also been talking about that".

She added: "It has not been at the forefront of his campaign particularly, but Reform as a whole has been talking about these issues."

Discussing the concerns she had heard on people's doorsteps, Ms Crawford said: "In my campaign alone we have been talking about how the tax threshold needs to be increased to raise minimum wage workers out of this tax deficit."

• Live: Follow the latest news about the UK general election

• Poll tracker: How do parties compare

• Voting: When is the election and how do I vote

• Network of X users smears politicians with deepfake clips

• General election 2024: All BBC stories and analysis

The Conservative candidate in Wyre Forest, Mark Garnier, said Mr Farage had the ability to "spice up" an election but denied that Reform UK was a threat to his party.

"I am not getting the sense that there is a massive swing to Nigel Farage and Reform," he said.

"The real choice at the next general election is... a Conservative government or a Keir Starmer Labour government."

Mark Garnier said he did not get the sense there was a "swing" to Reform UK

Labour's Jess Phillips, standing in Birmingham Yardley, also denied that George Galloway's Workers Party was a threat to her party.

She described the party as "a lot of noise" and claimed it was more interested in attacking her.

"They just want to shout quite a lot," said Ms Phillips.

Jess Phillips argued that people concerned about Gaza are also concerned about the NHS

Mr Galloway has previously described Gaza as the "mother of all single issues".

But on Sunday, the Labour politician said: "The Gaza issue will undoubtedly be an issue at the ballot box but what I am seeing very little of is the same people talking about the NHS.

"The people that care about Gaza are often people on waiting lists waiting for hip replacements."

Full lists of candidates for Birmingham Selly Oak, Wyre Forest and Birmingham Yardley are available on the BBC News election site.

Follow BBC Birmingham on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]