Meet the 22 Year old activist in the fight to be the next MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis

Halesowen Liberal Democrats have announced that anti-Brexit activist, and community campaigner Ryan Priest will fight to be the next MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis in the event of an Autumn Snap Election.

"I want Halesowen and Rowley Regis to have a real community champion to represent them in Westminister. I've lived in the Black Country my entire life, I went to school at Windsor High and live in Colley Gate now. My family have lived in this area for generations."

"Our community is consistently being let down, I'll change that. I want to secure funding to keep Halesowen Police Station, and introduce legislation to protect our greenbelt from greedy developers."

"Local Tories and Labour talk a good talk, but actions speaker louder than words, and how many of us can honestly say that our hometown has improved after years of switching between red and blue locally, and nearly decade of a Tory representative in Westminister"

Ryan joined the Liberal Democrats in early 2016, switching from the Labour Party.

"There are lots of people in the Labour party whose hearts are in the right place, but over the last few years the party has pumped out policy that is, at best, a bunch of middle-class giveaways"

"I want a government that stands up for the left behind, a government who stand up for the families that are just getting by, and I joined the Liberal Democrats because I believe that we are the only party that can offer that."

Ryan, who currently works for an International Development charity, see's his relatively young age as an advantage if he were to become a member of parliament.

"The biggest issues that our country faces today disproportionately affect young people. Climate change and the Housing Crisis are already huge hurdles in today's politics"

"Today's politicians can act with the best of interests, but my generation has a vested interest to fix these problems - we have to live through the worst to come."

Ryan stood in the local elections this year in his hometown ward of Cradley and Wollescote. Since then he has been lobbying for local policies that he says will benefit his community, in particular, he wants to secure funding for Halesowen Police Station, stop developers plans to build on the greenbelt and has called for an amnesty on the bulky waste collection charge in a bid to end fly-tipping.