Two men who have sat together in opposition on Birmingham City Council for the past eight years, watching the Labour Party run affairs, have now become the duo running the local authority, heading up a minority coalition. Roger Harmer of the Liberal Democrats, the new council leader, and his deputy Julien Pritchard of the Green Party will have to use all their convening and collaborative powers to effectively run the council, the biggest in the country, with a £4.4 billion budget.
They lead a new coalition made up of 19 Green Party councillors, 12 Liberal Democrats, and seven Better Birmingham Independents, totalling 38 out of 101 councillors. It is understood they have the support of other councillors too, but not officially enough to make up a working majority. They will need support from other groups to get any major initiatives or policies voted into reality.
In their first official media interviews, they vowed to set aside their party differences and focus on compromise and shared values when necessary 'for the good of Birmingham', urging other parties to do the same. They also pledged to 'restore hope' to the beleaguered city, which has been in the spotlight over its finances, the long-running bin strike, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, poverty, and rising demand for essential services.
Who Are the New Leaders?
Roger Harmer, the newly elected leader of Birmingham City Council, is a popular and respected local politician aged 60. He lives in the Acocks Green community he has represented as a councillor on and off since 1995. He has devoted the last ten years to his councillor role full time, other than occasional forays into consultancy work. He has a blended family with three grown-up children and two grandchildren from a first marriage, and a four-year-old daughter with his second wife, a city primary school teacher.
He heads up a Liberal Democrats group of 12 councillors, which is the fifth largest group on the council, making his personal elevation to the top political job a surprise. His new role comes with a total allowance of £76,531, composed of the basic councillor allowance of £19,952 plus a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) of £56,579.
Julien Pritchard, deputy leader of the council, aged 40, lives with his partner in Kings Norton. He was a university student in Birmingham and loved the city so much he never left. He has worked in campaigning and advocacy roles, including in transport and traffic, and in hospitality. He was elected as the first Green councillor in the city in 2018 and has been a full-time councillor since late 2021.
He leads the second biggest group on the city council, with 19 councillors. His deputy leader role comes with a total allowance of £65,215 per year, made up of a basic allowance of £19,952 plus a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) of £45,263.
How Will They Run the City Council?
Once the coalition was formed, the leader role was expected to go to Julien Pritchard of the Green Party, in deference to his party's 19 council seats. But both men insist it was a 'mutual decision' that Harmer would take the top job. It was thought that this was a decision rooted in a sense that a centrist Lib Dem would be a more palatable option to do business with for the Conservatives, Reform, and Labour than the Greens, who have become a more controversial choice under the leadership of Zack Polanski. However, they resist this version of events. Pritchard, described by colleagues as value-driven and far removed from being ruthless, was apparently happy to stand aside for his older, more experienced ally.
However, they confirmed that their intention was to swap roles in two years, with Pritchard elevated to leader and Harmer as deputy leader. It is an arrangement that political opponents have derided as unworkable and 'musical chairs'. But they say it makes perfect sense and is a positive move for a new council and a new political landscape, with voters making clear that no single party or group has a mandate to rule.
Councillor Pritchard said of the new arrangement: "Previous administrations operated in a top-down, dictatorial way, and that is just not how we will operate. We want to be a proper coalition and will operate in a spirit of shared ambition to bring hope back to the city."
Cllr Harmer added: "We agree on a lot of what needs to be done in the city. The challenges our city faces demand both new policies that put our residents first and a commitment to ensure they are actually delivered. Our city requires leadership that is steady, pragmatic, and unwavering in its focus on the issues that matter most to residents. In recent years, Birmingham has faced uncertainty and real damage to its reputation. Now, more than ever, we require a council that unites behind common goals and delivers real change. Let us be clear about our priorities. First and foremost, we must get the basics right. Our streets should be free from litter and fly tipping. The bin strike has gone unresolved for far too long, impacting the daily lives of thousands. Tackling this head-on is not optional; it is essential. This coalition shows what can be achieved when we put our city above narrow party politics. The Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and the Independent councillors have come together, united by a vision of progress grounded in action."
While Cllr Pritchard added: "Greens believe in doing politics differently, and our commitment to this forms the basis of our collaborative administration. There is so much we agree with as a coalition. Whether we, as Greens, will get every last bullet point done (that Greens want), I cannot say absolutely, but we are wanting to make our roads safer, invest in our parks and green spaces, and we are committed to that. We want to make sure we bring a bit of hope back to Birmingham, to bring a fairer, greener, more just city. It is an exciting position to be in and also one that carries responsibility, and we are stepping up." He said it had been 'a whirlwind' period but he was 'proud to step up'.
Despite pledges of collaboration, one of their first manoeuvres saw them ruffle the feathers of Reform UK and Labour by conspiring with the Conservatives to shut both parties out of roles chairing scrutiny committees. In a move that triggered a furious reaction, the coalition partners worked up a plan to give all seven scrutiny chair positions to Tories. Reform UK, despite being the single biggest party on the council with 23 seats, has been given none of the important positions, and nor has Labour. Both described it at the time as a grubby deal.
Labour and Reform have also since pressed the leadership duo to rethink their choice of cabinet member for children and families. In their first test, the coalition has been pressured to axe Councillor Kamel Hawwash from the top table. That is because of his well-known pro-Palestine and anti-Israel views, with claims that he has previously made social media commentary that amounts to antisemitism and pressure from local Jewish organisations. To date, the leadership has rejected the pressure that has come from Labour's Armed Forces minister and city MP Al Carns, regional mayor Richard Parker, Reform UK, and the Conservatives.
Asked about the values that shape his politics, Cllr Harmer told us: "I am a liberal. I believe and treasure and value diversity. I believe the world works better when people bring different talents, views, and perspectives on things, and think this city is fantastic because it has so much diversity in it. I believe people should be allowed to live their lives as they wish as long as they are not causing harm to others. I am very much about asking what we pragmatically need to do to get things working better in the city. One of the things that has come up time and again as being behind the failures in recent years is a belief by people in my position (as leader) that they need to have a discussion, come up with a strategy, post it online, and then that is dealt with. The real issue has been actually getting things done and translating those strategies into action. That focus on what actually makes a difference for people living their daily lives, in their homes, travelling through their city, experiencing litter and flytipping, that is what really motivates me to make a difference."
