Press Release 4th May 2012

For immediate release
Friday 4 May 2012
NOW IS THE TIME FOR BIRMINGHAM – YES TO BIRMINGHAM
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES
The Yes to Birmingham Mayor campaign have launched the next phase of our
campaign – YES TO BIRMINGHAM
After the referendum result, we have seen very clearly and powerfully how the
people of Birmingham have lost interest in politics and are not getting
sufficient information or aspiration from politics or the media.
The low turnout yesterday across the city, partly due to the grey weather and
more to do with significant disengagement, has shown the lack of motivation
of voters to go out and have their say on how their city is governed.
Julia Higginbottom, Campaign Director of Yes for Birmingham, says,
“We have worked for 18 months on making positive change happen in
Birmingham. We have no intention of stopping! You cannot let the people of
Birmingham be ignored.
People need information in order to be engaged in city politics – which is
responsible for the health and wealth of our city. The political parties have
fought each other in advance of yesterday’s votes. But we want the people to
understand how their city is governed and led.
We need more Brummies to demand radical change and improvements – in
education, skills, job creation, transport – the inequality, deprivation and
exclusion have massive impacts on many Brummies’ lives. This has to be
recognised and addressed as a matter of critical urgency.
Our campaign continues as before – to raise awareness, to get people
interested and engaged in city politics so that they can make an informed
decision – but crucially they can hold their politicians to account. People need
to understand that we can make change happen, we can control our destiny –
and we should demand the right to do that.
This is not about particular types of institutions. This is about Birmingham and
the people of Birmingham.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The Yes to Birmingham campaign has changed focus as of today from
the elected mayor referendum to a campaign to raise political
engagement with the voting public.
2. The Yes to Birmingham campaign is led by Julia Higginbottom and is a
non-partisan campaign that was formed to champion the city of
Birmingham and the people of Birmingham.
3. For all enquiries contact: Julia Higginbottom 07894 516609 or Alex
Burrows 07966 133779
4. For more information: yestobirmingham.com