Smethwick – all the general election info you need to know

Polls open at 7am on July 4 with voters given the chance to vote until 10pm to select which party and candidate they want representing them in each of the three Sandwell constituencies – Tipton and Wednesbury, Smethwick, and West Bromwich.

The new seats that are up for grabs in the borough were created following a recent review of parliamentary constituencies.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the snap general election in May which sparked six weeks of campaigning and canvassing from political parties and independent candidates across the political spectrum.

The Conservatives picked up two historic wins in 2019 – winning in the old West Bromwich West and West Bromwich East seats for the first time ever – with Labour’s John Spellar representing the old Warley seat from its inception in 1997.

Who is standing in Smethwick?

• Jay Anandou (Independent)

• Ravaldeep Bath (Trade Union and Socialist Coalition)

• Peter Durnell (Reform)

• Kate Fairhurst (Conservative)

• Christopher Graham (Independent)

• Gurinder Singh Josan (Labour)

• Rod Macrorie (Green)

• Oliver Patrick (Liberal Democrats)

• Nahim Rubani (Workers Party)

When can I vote? Where can I vote?

Polls will be open across the borough from 7am on Thursday, July 4 and will close at 10pm. You can vote as long as you are in the queue by 10pm.

The boxes of votes from polling stations from across Sandwell will then be delivered to Tipton Sports Academy where they will be verified and counted.

The location of the polling station where you will be able to cast your vote is named on the polling card delivered to your home address.

You must show an acceptable form of photo ID to vote. This includes a driving licence or passport. You don’t need to take your polling card but you must take ID.

And when will we know the winner?

Sandwell’s three MPs in the new Tipton and Wednesbury, West Bromwich and Smethwick will be declared by the council’s chief executive and borough’s returning officer Shokat Lal in the early hours. The results are expected to be declared at around 3am.

What about the boundary changes in Sandwell? What has happened to West Bromwich East?

Due to boundary changes, your polling station may have changed from the last election so it is best to double-check the stated address before heading off to vote.

The old Warley constituency – which is made up of the Abbey, Bristnall, Langley, Old Warley, Smethwick, Soho and Victoria and St Pauls council wards – was scrapped and renamed to form the new Smethwick ward. A small part of the Blackheath ward which is currently in the Warley constituency, would move to the newly renamed Halesowen seat with the bulk remaining in the new Smethwick constituency.

What was the result in Smethwick at the last general election in 2019?

Smethwick is a newly resurrected constituency for the 2024 election where it will be used for the first time in 50 years. The constituency is made up of the majority of the old Warley seat.

John Spellar held the seat for the entire time from 1997 when it was created (from the Warley East and Warley West seats). John Spellar received 58.2 per cent of the vote (and a 14,702 majority) in 2019 and was the only Labour candidate to keep hold of their seat – with the Tories picking up historic wins in West Bromwich East and West Bromwich West. It was the first time in history the party had won either seat.