Birmingham’s local elections in May are set to feature a deeply fragmented field of candidates, with Labour, the Conservatives, the Greens, Reform UK and independents all competing for seats. No party is expected to win an overall majority on the council, raising fears that the city could become ungovernable.
The uncertainty comes after a turbulent period for Labour, which has run the council for 14 years. The authority has faced a botched IT system implementation, a de facto bankruptcy in 2023, and industrial action by refuse workers that drew international headlines. Government-appointed commissioners, brought in to oversee financial recovery, could remain beyond 2028.
Paul Tilsley, a Liberal Democrat who first won a seat in 1968, said the result was likely to be a “bugger’s muddle”. He said no single party would win and predicted that many newly elected councillors would discover their promises were undeliverable given the financial situation. He described the council as “a shadow of what it was” and doubted that Reform or independent candidates would be able to address residents’ issues.
One of the groups hoping to capitalise on Labour’s troubles is the Independent Candidates Alliance, led by criminal lawyer Akhmed Yakoob, who has 220,000 TikTok followers. The alliance has formed an electoral pact with George Galloway’s Workers Party to field around 70 prospective councillors. Yakoob came close to unseating Labour MP Shabana Mahmood in the 2024 general election, campaigning largely on the Gaza issue. His supporters have faced accusations of intimidation, which he denies.
The alliance’s outsider status has also brought controversy. Shahid Butt, standing for the alliance, was found guilty in 1999 of plotting to blow up the British consulate in Yemen; he claims the charges were fabricated and that he was tortured. Yakoob said Amnesty International had called the convictions unsafe. Yakoob himself is facing trial next year on money laundering charges, which he denies. He said voters are fed up with Labour, which he accused of “deceiving them for decades”.
Yakoob said his candidates would be prepared to work with the Greens and the Lib Dems, but not Labour or Reform. The Green party said it would work with councillors who shared its values, while giving short shrift to those who divide communities. Labour’s council leader, John Cotton, said voters faced a “clear choice”. Critics of Reform have questioned the party’s lack of governance experience.
