Thanks so much Twitter people for your indulgence and support as I race around the city on election coverage duty. With just six days until polling day expect to see lots of stuff from me landing in your inbox, on here or on the Bl website…here’s a bit of a tease thread 1/ Look out for my seven minute speed date with Wes Streeting, an analysis of who is “local” and who’s not (and whether it matters); encounters down the pub with Reform; trailing a celeb down Alum Rock Road; a boxing lesson; and talking crap with Jess and Feargal /2

MUST READ: A doorbell video showing a purported Labour member door-knocking in the local elections in #Dudley went viral this week. It was shared by @Akhmedyakoob1 on his socials, and blew up. It alleged the person in the video said racist terms. THREAD /1 @Akhmedyakoob1 People keen to pursue an agenda that Labour was 'racist' shared and commented on the video. It was overlain with a script, claiming to show what was being said in a video that was largely incoherent. What followed was a disgraceful example of a thoughtless social pile-on /2

Breaking: Tonight we are exposing the racist tweets of a Conservative city councillor. Rick Payne, an ex soldier, who represents #Kingstanding, is behind an anonymised account full of racist slurs and calls to ‘take our country back’. THREAD Working with @hopenothate we found Payne, 59, has shared multiple messages referring to Islam as a dangerous religion and pressing for people to ‘take Britain back’. He speaks of a ‘civil uprising’ on the way and says ‘blood will spill’. 2/

Birmingham's families are about to get one huge, collective smack in the face, via @bhamcitycouncil and @luhc - lost services, closed community venues and council tax rises, and hundreds will lose their jobs..THREAD /1 @BhamCityCouncil @luhc But we are no nearer to seeing anyone held accountable for the multiple failures that have occurred, and a promised judge led inquiry has been kicked into the long grass. Brummies need answers - esp if they are about to take the fall for the mistakes and failure of others. /2