The leaders of Reform and Labour groups on Birmingham City Council have expressed outrage after being excluded from senior scrutiny posts under the new coalition administration. The Lib Dems-Greens-Independents coalition, led by Councillor Roger Harmer, has awarded all seven scrutiny committee chair roles to Conservative members in a pre-arranged deal, sparking accusations of dirty tricks.
Opposition Leaders React
Councillor Jex Parkin, leader of Birmingham Reform, described the move as a 'complete democratic failure'. He stated that Reform, as the largest party on the council with 23 out of 101 seats, should have received the majority of scrutiny roles. Instead, the Conservatives, the fourth largest party, secured all seven posts. Parkin urged the Conservatives and other involved parties to reflect on their conduct.
Labour leader Councillor Nicky Brennan called it a 'grubby deal' that ensures the coalition avoids cross-party scrutiny. She said any pretense of progressiveness is over, and Labour will continue to hold the administration accountable.
Details of the Deal
The coalition initially presented a 'List A' with fair distribution of scrutiny and regulatory chair roles among Reform, Conservatives, and Labour. However, they later switched to 'List B', giving all scrutiny chairs to Conservatives. Reform secured two of eight regulatory committee chairmanships (the other two go to independent experts), while Labour received none. One Labour councillor chairs a licensing sub-committee, and Reform chairs another licensing sub-committee and the trusts and charities brief.
New Cabinet Announced
The new cabinet includes: Leader Roger Harmer (Lib Dem); Deputy Leader Julien Pritchard (Green) with deputy James Hinton (Lib Dem); and other portfolios such as Children, Transport, Finance, and Health, held by coalition members from Greens, Lib Dems, and Better Birmingham Independents.
Scrutiny Committee Chairs
- Corporate and finance: Robert Alden (Conservative)
- Economy, skills and culture: Alex Yip (Conservative)
- Health and adult social care: Deirdre Alden (Conservative)
- Education and children: Matt Bennett (Conservative)
- Homes: Ken Wood (Conservative)
- Neighbourhoods: Richard Parkin (Conservative)
- Sustainability and transport: Timothy Huxtable (Conservative)
Regulatory chairs include planning (Birmingham Independents), licensing (Birmingham Independents), and audit and standards (independent chairs).
