2026 Birmingham City Council election

2026 Birmingham City Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
All 101 seats to Birmingham City Council
51 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader John Cotton Robert Alden Roger Harmer
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat Glebe Farm and Tile Cross Erdington Acocks Green
Last election 65 seats, 51.5% 22 seats, 27.5% 12 seats, 14.8%
 
Leader Julian Pritchard Martin Brooks Jane Jones
Party Green Harborne and Quinton Independents Birmingham Independents
Leader's seat Druids Heath Harborne Stockland Green
Last election 2 seats, 5.2% 0 seats, 0% 0 seats, 0%
Incumbent Council control

John Cotton
Labour



The 2026 Birmingham City Council election will take place on 7 May 2026, with all 101 council seats up for election across 37 single-member and 32 two-member wards.[1] The election will be held alongside other local elections across Great Britain.

In the previous council election in 2022, the Labour Party maintained its control of the council, winning 65 seats. The Conservative Party formed the main opposition with twenty-two seats, with the Liberal Democrats on twelve and the Green Party winning two.

Background

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Birmingham was a district of the West Midlands metropolitan county.[2] The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The West Midlands Combined Authority was created in 2016 and began electing the mayor of the West Midlands from 2017, which was given strategic powers covering a region coterminous with the former West Midlands metropolitan county.[3]

Since its formation Birmingham City Council has variously been under Labour control, Conservative control and no overall control. Councillors have predominantly been elected from the Labour Party, Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats. The council has had an overall Labour majority since the 2012 council election, when they regained control from the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition that had run the city since 2004.[4]

John Cotton has led the Labour group on Birmingham City Council since May 2023,[5] with Robert Alden leading the Conservative group,[6] Roger Harmer leading the Liberal Democrats,[7] Julian Pritchard leading the Greens, Martin Brooks leading the Harborne and Quinton Independents, and Jane Jones leading the Birmingham Independents.

Council composition

Prior to the election

Birmingham City council has been controlled by the Labour Party since 2012. The Conservative Party last held sole control of the council in 1984. It was under no overall control from 2003 until 2012, run by a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition from 2003 to 2004 and by a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition from 2004 to 2012.[8]

After 2022 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 65 Labour 53
Conservative 22 Conservative 22
Liberal Democrats 12 Liberal Democrats 13
Green 2 Green 2
Independent 0 Independent 10

Notes

References

  1. ^ "The City of Birmingham (Electoral Changes) Order 2016". UK Government Legislation – The National Archives.
  2. ^ Local Government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. p. 7. ISBN 0-11-750847-0.
  3. ^ "CONSTITUTION OF THE WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY" (PDF). Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Labour gain control of Birmingham and Dudley councils". BBC News. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  5. ^ Warner, Lewis (21 May 2023). "Labour selects new Birmingham City Council leader, removing Ian Ward". ITV News. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  6. ^ Mayor, Rob (21 May 2023). "Labour Party chooses new Birmingham council leader". BBC News. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Ed Davey: "Lib Dems offer real change for Birmingham"". Birmingham Lib Dems. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  8. ^ Neil Elkes (10 May 2012). "Eight years of Conservative-Liberal Democrat rule in Birmingham". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
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