Dear Editor, The importance of the people of Birmingham to vote in the coming election is clear.

Birmingham needs a party that will clearly put the needs of the city first.

The city is the largest local authority in the European Union and the size should be reflected by our developments across sectors and to be home to happy communities, with low unemployment figures and high productivity.

We have lost so much in the past few years and are paving the way constantly for change – let’s make the change happen.

Labour can and will. I hope it will be the vehicle of change.

The party did so much when serving as national government but political life goes in circles and no doubt Labour will come back to put back in place all the services and ideals we have loved and are seeing vanish under the coalition government.

That said – who says Birmingham and the region of the West Midlands can’t make changes now – we can decide what goes on in our region and we should.

Centralised in London no more, centralised in Birmingham for the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands.

As the election speeds into life I hope that the new administration not only pushes for an elected mayor, but for a West Midlands that will bring power over the region to Birmingham, its capital, and no longer simply be the second city, but the city.

It is not for central government to make our future – it is for us to make our future. The House of Lords in Birmingham is just not good enough.

Let’s make Birmingham what it was – a city of great inventors and innovation... our golden streak is just a bit dusty!

Simon Hunter-Williams

Seoul, South Korea