If we keep putting politics before communities, we will keep failing communities. It is time to flip that order around.
I have watched, for too long, decisions being shaped by what works for a party rather than what works for a neighbourhood. That order is wrong. Communities should always come first. Politics is the tool, not the purpose.
Putting communities before politics means listening even when it is inconvenient. It means defending residents even when it is unpopular. It means being honest about failure as well as success. It is not glamorous. It is the work.
This is the standard I ask of myself and of anyone who claims to lead in our city.
Mohammed Ali — Birmingham-born community leader from Alum Rock, founder of JABS B8 FC, and an independent voice for East Birmingham.