Black Country mother and carer on course to be one of the General Election's most surprising new MPs

Cradley Heath and Old Hill Councillor Vicki Smith is leading the polls in Wyre Forest and is 4/5 favourite to become the constituency's first Labour MP in a generation at the General Election 2024.

Councillor Smith was only chosen as the Labour candidate six weeks ago but two days away from polling day is leading former Conservative Minister Mark Garnier in the constituency which includes Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley.

The latest poll prediction has Councillor Smith leading Mr Garnier by over six per cent and being helped by the Reform candidate attracting votes from the Tories whilst trying to convince Green and Lib Dem voters to back her. The Conservatives are on course to lose at least 35 per cent of the vote since Boris Johnson's historic landslide in 2019.

Unlike the majority of new Labour candidates in the region Councillor Smith is not privately educated, did not go to Oxbridge or from London.

If she wins she will be in sharp contrast to her new Westminster colleagues as she has brought up her disabled daughter, navigating service cuts and NHS waiting lists for operations, and will champion those families who have had services cut which made those most vulnerable in society lives so much harder.

The 55-year-old was born on the floor of a Walsall police house and has only met her biological Conservative Councillor father once so will also champion adoption services as she credits her adoptive parents giving her the best start in life.

She met her American husband on a Levellers internet chat forum and convinced him to relocate to Cradley Heath and has worked for a domestic abuse charity, in hospitality and recently setting up her own community interest company. focused on community projects."

Offmore and Comberton Labour Councillor Liam Carroll is hoping to see the first elected Labour MP since 1997, before he was born.

He said: "This has been the most exciting election in Wyre Forest for a long time. It’s going down to the wire and every vote counts.

"Vicki has been a great candidate and if she’s elected she’ll bring her unique life experience and energy to serving local people. It will be something special to have an MP in Westminster from Wyre Forest who will be a passionate advocate for those with disabilities."

Councillor Smith said: "I will bring a unique perspective to Westminster. Labour has a plan for a fresh start, and I won’t let you down in being part of that change.

“I will be a down-to-earth and approachable MP, and a strong voice for the whole of Wyre Forest."

Wyre Forest has been represented by Conservative Mark Garnier since 2010. Labour last won the seat in Tony Blair’s landslide of 1997 but then in 2001 local doctor Richard Taylor won the seat campaigning against the downgrading of Kidderminster Hospital - the doctor then won again in 2005.