The election battleground in Birmingham and Solihull

The general election will see 12 seats up for grabs in Birmingham and Solihull

Voters in Birmingham and Solihull will elect 12 MPs when the general election takes place on 4 July.

In Birmingham, Labour were dominant at the last election in 2019 securing eight of the 10 available seats. But the Conservatives did win in Solihull and Meriden.

Things will look a bit different this time, with Solihull being divided up to create a new seat – Solihull and Shirley – with the north of the town joining the renamed constituency of Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North. The remaining part of the town will become part of a renamed Meriden and Solihull East constituency.

A complete list of candidates standing in each constituency will be available on the BBC website after nominations close.

Here is an overview of each constituency, in alphabetical order:

Birmingham Edgbaston

It's the home of Warwickshire Cricket Club and the University of Birmingham.

Labour’s Preet Gill successfully defended the seat in 2019 and it has been held by the party since 1997. Prior to that it had been a Conservative stronghold for decades.

Former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain is the constituency’s most famous MP of all time.

Birmingham Erdington

This constituency includes the large housing estates of Kingstanding and Castle Vale, as well as large areas of green belt and the famous Birmingham Spaghetti Junction.

A by-election was held here in 2022 after the death of sitting Labour MP Jack Dromey. The seat was held for the party by Paulette Hamilton.

The last time the Conservatives won here was before World War Two had begun, back in 1936.

Sarehole Water Mill in Hall Green is said to have inspired J.R.R Tolkien

Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley

The Labour Party has held the seat since they first took it from the Conservatives in 1997.

The area has a diverse population and there is a large amount of social housing.

The constituency is home to Sarehole Mill, known as an inspiration for Lord of the Rings writer JRR Tolkien, who grew up just yards away.

Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North

The constituency has a high percentage of low-income households and covers a diverse area of the east of Birmingham.

Liam Byrne has been the MP here since 2004, with the seat being held by the party since it was created in 1983.

Northern areas of Solihull, Castle Bromwich and Smith's Wood, will be brought into the constituency for this election and its name has been changed to reflect that.

Birmingham Ladywood

Birmingham city centre is part of this constituency which has been held by the Labour Party since 1970 when they took it from the Liberal Democrats.

Since a boundary change in 2010, the seat has been held by Labour's Shabana Mahmood.

According to the latest Office of National Statistics data, the area has a large Muslim population and most people living here class themselves as an ethnic minority.

Independent candidate Ahkmed Yakoob is set to stand here. He came third in the West Midlands mayoral election on 2 May, at which Labour's Richard Parker beat Conservative Andy Street.

Tory-held Northfield has the slimmest majority in Birmingham

Birmingham Northfield

The former home of the MG Longbridge plant in the south of the city is currently held by Conservative Gary Sambrook, with the slimmest majority in the city - 1,640.

The Conservatives won the seat in 2019 for the first time since losing it in 1992.

The constituency is home to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and West Heath Hospital.

Birmingham Perry Barr

This constituency is the home of international athletics - the Alexander Stadium.

It also has the Athlete’s Village housing development - built for the Commonwealth Games - but never ended up housing a single athlete because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The seat has been held by Labour ever since they won it from the Conservatives in 1974.

Birmingham Selly Oak

This seat has historically flipped between the Tories and Labour – with Labour holding the seat most recently, since 1992.

The constituency includes Bournville, the home of Cadbury’s chocolate, and hosts a large portion of the University of Birmingham’s Selly Oak campus.

Birmingham Yardley

Labour took Yardley from the Liberal Democrats back in 2015 via Jess Phillips – who has defended the seat in the subsequent two elections since.

Since 1987, the seat has swapped between the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and Labour.

Meriden has been merged with part of the abolished Solihull constituency

Meriden and Solihull East

This is a new seat - formed from merging the Meriden constituency to bring in eastern parts of the soon-to-be-abolished Solihull seat.

Meriden sits halfway between Coventry and Solihull and that seat had been held by the Conservatives since they took it from Labour in 1979.

Solihull West and Shirley

A new seat formed from the majority of the soon-to-be-abolished Solihull seat and the town of Shirley.

Julian Knight won the Solihull seat from the Liberal Democrats as a Conservative candidate in 2015. He has sat as an independent since 2022.

The period between 2005 and 2015 was the only time the Solihull seat had not been held by a Tory since it was created in 1945.

Sutton Coldfield

A Conservative blue stronghold amongst a sea of Labour red in Birmingham.

It has been occupied by Tory MPs ever since it was formed in 1945.

Andrew Mitchell has held the seat since 2001 and is the most senior Conservative MP in Birmingham and Solihull – serving in the cabinet as deputy to Foreign Secretary David Cameron.