If elected to take control of Birmingham City Council in May, the Birmingham Local Conservatives will immediately scrap the current inclusion of asylum seekers in the Passport to Leisure scheme, redirecting scarce resources to support hard-working Birmingham residents and protect taxpayer money.
The Passport to Leisure scheme currently offers up to 25% discounts on activities including swimming, gym sessions, golf, trampolining, gymnastics, martial arts and more at council-run leisure centres. It also includes discounts at museums and theatres in the city. While the scheme rightly supports pensioners, carers, full-time students and those on low incomes facing genuine financial barriers, extending these discounts to asylum seekers is no longer affordable or fair given the council’s dire financial position.
Birmingham City Council was made effectively bankrupt following years of mismanagement by the Labour Administration, with residents already facing a double whammy of higher taxes for fewer services. Every pound spent subsidising leisure access for non-residents in the asylum system is a pound not available for Birmingham families, elderly residents or struggling communities who pay into the system.
Councillor Robert Alden (Con, Erdington), Leader of the Birmingham Local Conservatives, said:
Local people must come first. Our hard-pressed taxpayers are already shouldering enormous pressures on housing, schools, healthcare and social care. In these tough times, we cannot justify using council resources to subsidise leisure activities for asylum seekers when so many of our own residents are struggling to make ends meet or access the services they need
The decision also follows growing community concerns about safety and incidents reported at or near some leisure centres involving asylum seekers. This has seen totally unacceptable incidents including in Leisure Centre changing rooms.
Councillor Alden said:
We have had some horrific incidents at Council leisure centres, including some very disturbing reports from the public and staff at the leisure centre in Erdington, including distressing scenes in the changing rooms involving asylum seekers. Women and families must be able to use these facilities safely and without fear. The operators acted quickly to tackle these issues and met with Cllr Moore and I to look at solutions. But the Council shouldn't be letting it get to this point. That is why this discount should be removed.
Birmingham Conservatives believe leisure facilities should remain welcoming, family-friendly spaces where residents of all ages can feel safe and comfortable. Prioritising Birmingham residents will help restore confidence and ensure council facilities focus on those who live, work and contribute in the city.
If elected in May, a Conservative-run council will:
· Remove asylum seekers from eligibility for the Passport to Leisure scheme with immediate effect
· Protect and, where possible, expand discounts for Birmingham pensioners, carers, students and low-income residents
· Conduct a full review of all council spending to ensure every decision puts local people first.
Birmingham Conservatives are calling on residents to back this common-sense approach at the ballot box in May.
Councillor Robert Alden added:
Only the Local Conservatives have a plan to balance the books and clean up the city. From housing to leisure, we will always put Birmingham residents first
