Birmingham City Council has ended up with no party in control after a dramatic day of local election results, with Reform UK, the Greens, Local Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Independents all taking seats in a chaotic outcome for the city.
Amid drama and despair, cheers and tears, the people of Birmingham raised their voices to deliver a collective rejection of Labour, which had run the council for the past 14 years in sole control. However, no party has emerged with a clear mandate to take over. This vote signals a tumultuous start to a new era in the city's history.
Brummies voted for a rainbow of alternative parties and personalities to run the city council for the next four years. Four seats have yet to be declared following recounts. A further recount will take place on Monday for Glebe Farm and Tile Cross, and Bournville and Cotteridge, each for two councillors.
Reform UK Leads but Falls Short
Reform UK has emerged as the biggest party, taking 22 seats so far, well below polling predictions that they would come close to the 51 seats needed for an overall majority. Polling and buoyant Reform supporters had predicted taking many more seats.
Greens Surge to Second Place
The Greens were delighted to emerge as the second biggest party despite a rapid, poorly funded campaign. They ended up with 18 seats.
Conservatives Defy Expectations
The Conservatives defied expectations by retaining 16 seats, giving the party a surprising boost and a significant stake in what happens next. The whole of Sutton Coldfield is now in Conservative hands after it took Sutton Vesey's two seats off Labour, while it retained seats in places like Erdington and Edgbaston that had been deemed at risk.
Labour Suffers Heavy Losses
A demoralised Labour party ended up with 16 seats. Its losses included its leader John Cotton in Glebe Farm and Tile Cross, and cabinet members Mariam Khan in Alum Rock, Rob Pocock in Sutton Vesey, and Saima Suleman in Hall Green North.
Liberal Democrats Hold Steady
The Liberal Democrats, who were also written off in the polls, ended up with the same number of seats as they started with, 12. Their leader and deputy leader Roger Harmer and Deborah Harries were among those to keep their seats. Popular Moseley pair Izzy Knowles and Phillip Mills, here with his guide dog Mason, were also re-elected.
Independents Make Mark
The Independents, including those endorsed by controversial duo Akhmed Yakoob and Shakeel Afsar but also those who opposed their values and views, ended up with 13 seats.
But the story of the day was the demise of Labour as a political force in the city. In all, the party lost 35 seats it had previously held.
Turnout was higher than predicted, in some wards touching close to 50%, but we are still awaiting the final turnout figures.
What Happens Next?
The outcome means that no single party holds the balance of power. It is not possible for any two parties to form a coalition, so we expect fevered discussions to take place over the coming days in a bid to form a majority coalition. Any combination of groups could now come together capable of running the council between them, with a dizzying array of options.
Labour's national failure to turn the tide on austerity, its desperately slow reaction to the clamour for child poverty-busting measures, its announcements on 'right to remain' that triggered fear in thousands of Brummie families, and the harm done by its position on Israel's actions in Gaza made Labour the target for all comers from left and right. Locally, it has failed miserably to come up with alternative arguments against those who say they have overseen financial failure and incompetence, bankruptcy and a catastrophic bin strike.
The result in Birmingham adds to mounting pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
