| Birmingham City Council | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | Metropolitan district council of Birmingham |
| Leadership | |
| Leader | Mike Whitby, Conservative |
| Deputy Leader | Paul Tilsley, Liberal Democrats |
| Members | 120 |
| Elections | |
| Voting system | First past the post |
| Last election | 6 May 2010 |
| Meeting place | |
| Council House, Birmingham | |
| Website | |
| www.birmingham.gov.uk | |
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom (excluding counties) with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham City councillors representing over one million people, in 40 wards.[1] The council headquarters are based at the Council House in the city centre. The council is responsible for running nearly all local services, with the exception of those run by joint boards. The provision of certain services has in recent years been devolved to several council constituencies,[2] which each have a constituency committee made up of councillors from that district.
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The council was run by a Labour administration between 1984 and 2004, with Sir Dick Knowles as Council Leader from 1984 to 1993, followed in turn by Theresa Stewart and Sir Albert Bore. They lost overall control in 2003 but continued to run the council as a minority administration for the following year. At the election of 10 June 2004, the 121 seats were divided between the Labour, (53 councillors), Conservative (39) and Liberal Democrat (28) parties. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups then formed a governing coalition, moving Labour into opposition.
In 2005, Richard Mawrey QC (as an election commissioner) ruled invalid Birmingham City Council elections in two wards, Aston and Bordesley Green, held the year before, and required re-votes. He blamed most of the electoral fraud on absentee ballot manipulation, and implicated the returning officer and six Labour councillors. By-elections and defections in 2005 altered the distribution of seats within the council with Labour holding 46 seats, Conservatives holding 40, Liberal Democrats holding 30, the People's Justice Party holding 2 and independent councillors holding a further 2.
In 2006, the People's Justice Party disbanded, with their two councillors joining the Liberal Democrats, and Councillor Ann Holtom defected from Labour to the Liberal Democrats. In the 2006 local elections the British National Party initially gained a seat, but it soon transpired their candidate's election had been caused by a counting error and the result was subsequently overturned in favour of the previously third-placed Labour party candidate following an election petition.[3]
After the local elections on 1 May 2008, there remained no overall control, with the 120 seats being divided between the Conservative (49 councillors), Labour, (36), Liberal Democrat (32) parties and Respect (3).[4]
After the local elections on 6 May 2010, there remained no overall control, with the 120 seats being divided between the Conservative (45 councillors), Labour, (41), Liberal Democrat (31) parties and Respect (3).[4] The leader of the council is Conservative group leader Mike Whitby. Lib Dem group leader Paul Tilsley is Deputy Leader. The Conservatives' main local strongholds are in the Sutton Coldfield and Edgbaston constituencies.
In the local elections on 5 May 2011, Labour won an extra 14 seats on the council but there remained no overall control, with the 120 seats being divided between the Conservative (39 councillors), Labour, (55), Liberal Democrat (24) parties and Respect (3).[4] The leader of the council is Conservative group leader Mike Whitby. Lib Dem group leader Paul Tilsley is Deputy Leader.
| Year | Conservative | Labour | Lib Dems | Other | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 39 | 55 | 24 | 2 | |||
| 2010[5] | 45 | 41 | 31 | 3 | |||
| 2008 | 49 | 36 | 32 | 3 | |||
| 2007 | 44 | 41 | 32 | 3 | |||
| 2006 | 41 | 44 | 33 | 2 | |||
| 2004 | 39 | 53 | 28 | 0 | |||
| 2003 | 35 | 57 | 23 | 2 | |||
| 2002 | 31 | 67 | 15 | 4 | |||
| 2000 | 28 | 66 | 18 | 5 | |||
| 1999 | 20 | 77 | 16 | 4 | |||
Following the June 2004 reorganisation, Birmingham's 40 wards are[1]:
From 5 April 2004, responsibility and budgets for a number of services were devolved to 11 district committees, as part of a growing trend in the UK to use area committees for large councils. From 1 June 2006 the districts were reduced from 11 to 10 in order to correspond with the revised Westminster constituency boundaries, and renamed "council constituencies". Each now comprises four wards. The council constituencies are[2]:
Notable services provided and facilities managed by Birmingham City Council include:
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