Clare Short

More about Birmingham Ladywood

[larger map of Birmingham Ladywood]

Ladywood constituency, where Clare Short and four previous generations of her family were born, is situated in the centre of Birmingham. It has a population of approximately 103,000 and is a rich mix of thriving communities and cultural diversity. The people of Ladywood belong to many different faiths and there are many mosques, gurdwaras, churches, synagogues and a Buddhist temple. For more than a century, Goldsmiths have produced fine jewellery in the Jewellery Quarter that is sold in the many shops there.

Also within Ladywood are the National Indoor Arena, the fabulous Symphony Hall (which has the best acoustics in the country), Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery which has the largest Pre-Raphaelite collection in the country, and three theatres. The Bull Ring shopping centre is enjoying a renaissance and has been redesigned with some spectacular architecture.

Ladywood boasts two football clubs - Aston Villa and Birmingham City. Aston University, also in my constituency, has the reputation for the best graduate recruitment in the UK.

Ladywood is one of the most deprived constituencies in the country, but also has a great vibrancy and many people of talent. It is one of the most multicultural areas of Britain and we are very proud of our diversity and the way in which our different communities have learned to respect each other and learn from each other.