Robert Jenrick has compared Birmingham to a “third-world country” as he criticised the city council over the ongoing bin strikes, which have left rubbish piling up on the streets.
The Reform UK MP made these comments as the industrial dispute involving refuse collectors marks its first anniversary, with residents in England’s second-largest city continuing to face large amounts of uncollected waste and growing concerns about rats and public health.
Speaking to GB News, Jenrick described it as “tragic” that residents have had to endure such conditions for so long, particularly in some of the city’s poorest neighbourhoods.
He stated that the anniversary of the strikes should be seen as a “big moment for change” in Birmingham, suggesting that voters may seek new leadership to address the crisis and restore normal refuse services.
The ongoing dispute has led to repeated walkouts by waste workers, leaving piles of rubbish accumulating across various parts of the city. Critics have accused Birmingham City Council of failing to resolve the standoff.
Jenrick told GB News: said: “I went with GB News to Birmingham around [at the start of the strikes] and saw for myself the appalling state of the city. And it’s such a tragedy.
“I know Birmingham very well. I grew up down the road in Wolverhampton and to see the city, particularly some of its poorest neighbourhoods, looking like a third-world country with rubbish piled up everywhere, it was absolutely tragic.
It’s got to come to an end and the failing council there has got to sort this thing out, get the trade unions round the table and bring this to a conclusion.
Jenrick said in a message to constituents in Birmingham that there is a “big moment” ahead of the local elections in May.
He said: “I’m pretty sure that people are going to vote to get rid of that council and bring in new leadership.
I hope that’s a Reform council. We’re actually working very hard. We’ve held rallies in Birmingham the other day with Nigel Farage.
I went up with Richard Tice the other day to a steel factory there to meet workers and to talk about the economy in Birmingham.
“This is going to be a big moment where people can vote out a council that has let them down so badly and bring in change.
And the number one thing that council could do under new leadership would be sort out the bin strike and make the streets clean and safe again.
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