A former Reform UK group leader as well as Green, Labour and Conservative ex-councillors are to contest a significant by-election.

Castle Bromwich voters will have a choice of more than 20 candidates when they head to the polls later this month.

The voters of the ward are tasked with electing three new councillors to replace Alan Feeney, Jamie Campbell and Chris Whelan on Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC).

They all quit after an undercover sting into Reform UK exposed them making misogynistic and racist comments.

One of the major names to throw his hat in the ring is Michael Gough.

Just over a year ago the former councillor had quit the Tories, helping set up the Reform UK group and becoming its first group leader.

In May's local elections he memorably lost his Silhill seat on the day his wife Eleonora Gough was elected as a Reform UK councillor.

In September she quit Reform UK to sit as an independent and now Mr Gough is standing as an independent candidate.

Meanwhile Martin McCarthy, who previously served as Conservative councillor in the ward until he lost his seat in May, is standing again.

At that election, when he was deputy mayor, he received 1,097 votes coming fourth behind the now disgraced former councillors.

Shesh Sheshabhatter is another familiar name standing in this by-election.

Prior to losing his seat in May the former Green Party councillor had been deputy leader of the group and a 2024 parliamentary candidate.

And former Green Party councillor Mark Wilson – who represented Smith's Wood on the authority for over a decade before losing his seat in May – is another hoping for a return to the council chamber.

Another recognisable name standing is Hazel Dawkins. She made headlines in 2024 becoming the first Labour councillor on the council for three years.

But in May's election she lost in the Kingshurst and Smith's Wood ward, leaving Labour with no councillors on the authority once again.

The under pressure Reform UK group has selected Mark Evans, Jacqueline Howse and Garry Taylor as its candidates for the by-election.

Solihull Reform UK group leader, Cllr Samantha Gethen, will be wanting another clean sweep in the ward to move on from the scandal that made national headlines.

The high profile nature of the by-election can be seen in the number of candidates – 21 compared to the 11 that stood in May.

There are five independent candidates and for the first time a Restore Britain candidate standing for election to the council.

The full list of candidates are:

• Kashif Ahmed, Labour Party
• Qasim Ali, Independent
• Elliott Astley, Independent
• Dee Boyce, Green Party
• Bob Cartleton, Liberal Democrats
• Michael Craven, Restore Britain
• Hazel Dawkins, Labour Party
• Mark Evans, Reform UK
• Tom Gilmore, Labour Party
• Michael Gough, Independent
• Georgina Hartland, Conservative Party
• Jacqueline Howse, Reform UK
• Christopher Johnson, Liberal Democrats
• Martin McCarthy, Conservative Party
• Bhavan Pemmaiah, Independent
• Ethan Potter, Conservative Party
• Matt Purssell, Liberal Democrats
• Shesh Sheshabhatter, Green Party
• Garry Taylor, Reform UK
• Paul Thompson, Independent
• Mark Wilson, Green Party

Polling cards will be sent out to registered voters ahead of polling day being held on November 26, with the result expected to be announced that evening.