West Midlands · England · 75,678Boundary · 2023

Birmingham Selly Oak

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

A safe Lab seat, won with 45% of the vote in 2024. Centred on Birmingham. Population 117,276, notably young (median age 34 vs 41 nationally).

A government minister voting 100% with Labour and holding a senior brief, Al Carns has been one of the more visible backbench-turned-ministerial figures from the 2024 intake. As Veterans Minister, he secured a commitment to place two dedicated police officers in every Birmingham neighbourhood after lobbying the West Midlands Chief Constable directly -- a rare example of ministerial muscle being used for explicitly local ends. He has also publicly committed to addressing systemic failures affecting fallen soldiers, visited Combat Stress in his constituency, and championed the Midlands Rail Hub as a transport and economic priority for Selly Oak. His Everest attempt in 2025, raising funds for veterans' charities, generated significant local coverage.

His parliamentary participation rate of 50% -- well below the Commons average -- reflects the demands of a ministerial role, which typically reduces floor vote attendance. When he does vote, he is a 100% party-line voter with no rebel votes. His stance profile shows strong alignment on workers' rights and progressive taxation, but notably low scores on parliamentary scrutiny (8%) and Lords scrutiny (0%), consistent with his record of backing the government in overturning multiple Lords amendments to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in April 2026. He sits on the Armed Forces Bill Select Committee, and defence dominates his speech activity by a wide margin -- 74 contributions versus 17 on the next topic.

252
Commons votes
This parliament
£28k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
75.7k
Electorate
2024 GE

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§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Carns’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.252 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Carns has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Economy
56
Taxation
51
Employment
26
Education
22
Housing
22
Crime & Policing
19
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip

No rebellions or free votes recorded yet.

§ 08The local picture.8 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
BillesleyKatherine Iroh2,000Labour P
BillesleyPhil Davis2,153Labour P
Bournbrook Selly ParkJamie Christopher Scott1,346Labour P
Bournville CotteridgeFred Grindrod2,739Labour P
Bournville CotteridgeLiz Clements3,069Labour P
Brandwood Kings HeathDavid Seán Barker2,769Labour P
Brandwood Kings HeathLisa Stephanie Trickett2,704Labour P
Druids Heath MonyhullJulien Pritchard1,890Green Pa
Highters HeathAdam Andrew Higgs1,094Conserva
StirchleyMary Anne Locke1,900Labour P
Weoley Selly OakJamie Tennant2,254Labour P
Weoley Selly OakMiranda Juliet Perks2,427Labour P
Population (2021 Census)
117,276
Electorate 75,678 · 2024 register
Median income
£27,700
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
21.7%
England average 20.0%
Schools
41
24 primary · 7 secondary
Next · dig deeperEvery division, question, speech and committee record

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Filter divisions, search written questions, read every speech since the election. Sortable, searchable, downloadable.

More constituency data is being added, including local issue analysis and historical trends. Learn about our methodology. View data sources & attribution.