Battle lines have been drawn up for the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency in the forthcoming general election.

Labour has chosen Belle Vale councilor Ian Cooper as its candidate and he immediately criticized incumbent Conservative James Morris attacking his record on education.

Councilor Cooper claimed Mr. Morris has backed the Government’s grammar schools project, squandering £300 million on something nobody asked for. 

But Mr. Morris hit back, saying Labour politicians threatened the greenbelt, leisure centres and police stations.