Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has described Labour’s loss of control of Birmingham City Council as “a devastating night in Birmingham and across the country”. Counting for the remaining seats was halted on Friday night, leaving the council with no overall control amid a five-party split.
Labour’s 14-year leadership of the council ended after gains from Reform, the Green Party, and a bloc of independents. With two of the 101 seats still to be declared, Reform had won 22 seats, Greens 19, Labour 17, Conservatives 16, independents 13, and Liberal Democrats 12. Returning officer Rob Connelly confirmed the count for the remaining ward would resume on Monday.
Ms Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood since 2010, posted on X: “Good public servants, colleagues and friends have lost their seats. This was a verdict on us not them. The PM has rightly said we must do better.” She added that serving the British people is a privilege and Labour must live up to it.
The undeclared Glebe Farm and Tile Cross ward is understood to have undergone several recounts. Outgoing council leader John Cotton, who led the authority during a long-running bin strike, urged his successor to prioritise a deal to settle the dispute. The 14-month disagreement over pay and jobs led to rubbish piling up on streets, with residents calling it a health hazard.
Mr Cotton said his administration had made difficult decisions to balance the city’s finances. He told the media: “I would encourage the next administration to build on those foundations and not to engage in acts that would take us back to some of the mistakes that have dogged Birmingham in the past. Whoever occupies the leader’s chair needs to ensure they take that deal through as a priority, so we can bring this to a close and the people of Birmingham get the bin service they deserve.”
