The final result of the Birmingham local election is set to be officially declared in the coming hours, as political parties begin negotiations to form a coalition government for the city council.
Count Resumes After Weekend Break
The election count, which began on Friday at the Birmingham Utilita Arena, was halted after time ran out, with all but one ward declared. The count will resume at 1pm on Monday, May 11, in a smaller side room at the arena, with the result for the two-seat ward expected shortly thereafter.
Former council leader John Cotton, who had served on the council since 1999 and was appointed leader in 2023, conceded he had failed to hold onto his seat in Glebe Farm and Tile Cross after learning he did not finish in the top three candidates. His departure marks the biggest loss for the Labour Party in these elections.
Current Seat Breakdown
As it stands, the seat distribution is as follows: Reform UK has 22 seats, the Green Party has 19, Labour has 17, the Conservative Party has 16, Independents have 13, and the Liberal Democrats have 12. Newly elected councillors were being sworn in at the Council House as discussions to form a coalition began.
Other Notable Losses
Labour also lost several other key figures. Coun Rob Pocock, the cabinet member responsible for governance and recovery, lost his seat in Sutton Vesey to the Conservatives. Mariam Khan, cabinet member for health and social care, was one of two Labour candidates in Alum Rock who lost a bitter battle with independents. Saima Suleman, the council's existing cabinet member for Digital, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, lost her seat in Hall Green North. Long-serving councillor Karen McCarthy, who held the finance brief, and Jamie Scott, newly-promoted to look after social justice and equalities, were both ousted by the Greens in their ward of Bournbrook and Selly Park.
The final declaration will set the stage for coalition negotiations, with no single party holding a majority in the hung council.
