Parties and groups elected to serve on Birmingham City Council last week are now locked in tense negotiations as they bid to come up with a way to join forces for the good of residents ahead of a critical meeting next Tuesday.
Representatives of the 101 councillors elected on May 7 are trying to work out if they can work together in coalition and choose a leader that a majority agree on before the first full council meeting on Tuesday, May 19. Insiders predict it will be a 'big ask' to conclude discussions by then but conversations are 'ongoing'.
Leadership Vote Expected
On Tuesday, councillors are expected to vote in a new leader, who would then announce cabinet positions and a range of committee chairs to oversee governance of the council. If they cannot reach an agreement, the meeting will be adjourned pending further talks.
The final results show 16 Conservatives, 19 Greens, 23 Reform, 17 Labour, 12 Liberal Democrats, 13 independents, and one Workers' Party candidate elected.
Group Leaders Confirmed
BirminghamLive can reveal that the Green Party (19 councillors), Conservatives (16 councillors), Liberal Democrats (12 councillors) and Labour Party (17 councillors) have elected leaders. Councillor Nicky Brennan will lead the Labour group of 17 councillors after being selected by a Labour national executive committee panel. Her deputy is new councillor Shuranjeet Singh, who represents Soho and Jewellery Quarter.
But she has ruled out coalition. She said of her appointment: “The Labour Party in Birmingham has worked hard over recent years to turn Birmingham City Council around and I want to pay tribute to John Cotton's leadership during this time to get the council's finances back on track. But we understand that voters are frustrated by the pace of change. We respect the outcome of the election and the message voters have sent. Now is the time for us to reflect carefully on the result, listen to residents, and rebuild trust and support with our communities. For that reason, our group will not be entering into any coalition agreement or power-sharing arrangement with other parties. We will continue to serve residents constructively from the opposition benches, holding the new administration to account where necessary while supporting decisions that are in the best interests of the city and its residents.”
Reform and Independents
Reform, the biggest single party with 23 seats, has already said it does not wish to enter coalition with other parties and intends to sit in opposition. Meanwhile the 13 Independents and one Workers' Party candidate who won seats are involved in their own discussions to see if enough of them are willing to work together to form a coherent group.
Our most recent inside information suggests at least seven Independents who had rejected the chance to be part of the Independent Candidate Alliance created by Akhmed Yakoob and Shakeel Afsar are close to reaching an agreement to operate as a separate group. They would be on a mission to campaign for more resources and opportunities in the deprived inner city wards they represent.
We believe that group would be led by Harris Khaliq (Ward End) and Nosheen Khalid (Alum Rock), with support from Shaukat Mahmood (Alum Rock), Taj Uddin (Lozells), Abdul Choudhury (Aston), Jamil Khan (Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East), and Adnan Hussain (Bordesley Green). But we understand talks are continuing among themselves and with other Independents.
A separate group might emerge including ICA endorsed candidates including Rinkal Shergill (Holyhead), Rahiaan Abbas (Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East) and Mansuur Ahmed (Nechells). Quinton and Harborne Independents Sam Forsyth and Martin Brooks have revealed they intend to watch from the sidelines for now to see what combination of councillors emerges from the negotiations.
Group Leaders So Far
- Reform: Jex Parkin, Charlie Latchford (deputy)
- Green Party: Julien Pritchard, Kamel Hawwash (deputy)
- Liberal Democrats: Roger Harmer, Debbie Harries (deputy)
- Labour: Nicky Brennan, Shuranjeet Singh (deputy)
- Community independents bloc: expected to be Harris Khaliq, Nosheen Khalid (deputy)
What Is Likely to Happen?
This is the million pound question - and the situation remains confusing, says our people and politics editor Jane Haynes. To govern the council successfully, a coalition would ideally need command a majority - that's 51 out of 101 seats. To achieve that, four groups would have to come together.
A so-called progressive majority coalition involving centre left and left wing groups might have been possible if the Greens, Liberal Democrats, Labour and left-leaning Independents decide to work together. Together they have more than 51 seats. But Labour have now ruled that out.
A combined Greens (19), Lib Dems (12) and left leaning Independents (8-10) would not be sufficient alone to command a majority but they could now make a case to operate as a minority coalition, with support from other groups on a 'confidence and supply' basis. This is an arrangement where a smaller party supports a minority coalition on critical votes, including motions of no confidence and budget votes, without being in a formal coalition. Labour or the Independents could seek this sort of deal.
And what of the Conservatives? Though not seen as 'left leaning', the group's councillors include One Nation Tories, in the mould of Andy Street, who might be more comfortable working alongside the Lib Dems and some Green councillors than their nemesis, Reform. The leaders of the Greens, Julien Pritchard, the Lib Dems, Roger Harmer, and the Conservatives, Robert Alden, have all joined forces before when in opposition to the ruling Labour group, and share a desire to make the best of a bad lot. It would not be outlandish to imagine an outcome where the three groups join forces more formally.
All eyes will be on the Council House on Tuesday May 19, from 4pm, when the first council meeting takes place. BirminghamLive will bring you live coverage from inside the council chamber, when we hope to find out 'who runs Birmingham'. Follow our blog for the latest updates.
