Birmingham City Council

Common seal of the Mayor, Aldermen + Burgesses of the Borough of Birmingham, used after 1838 and until 1889

The original Charter of Incorporation, dated 31 October 1838, was received in Birmingham on 1 November, then read in the Town Hall on 5 November with elections for the first Birmingham Town Council being held on 26 December. Sixteen aldermen and 48 councillors were elected and the Borough was divided into 13 wards. William Scholefield became the first Mayor and William Redfern was appointed as Town Clerk.

It was not until 14 January 1889 that another Charter conferred the rank of City on Birmingham. On 9 November 1891, the districts of Balsall Heath, Harborne, Saltley and Little Bromwich were absorbed into the City. The dignity of a Lord Mayor was conferred in 1896 and Sir James Smith Kt was appointed as the City's first Lord Mayor on 3 June 1896. The parish of Quinton became part of Birmingham on 9 November 1909 and two years later, under what was termed 'The Greater Birmingham Scheme', the Boroughs of Aston Manor, the Urban Districts of Handsworth and of Erdington, part of the Urban District of Kings Norton and Northfield and the Rural District of Yardley were all incorporated. Such was the expansion involved that the Council Chamber, originally designed to accommodate 80 members, had to be modified to seat the representatives of the new wards. Further additions occurred on 1 April 1928 (most of the Perry Barr Urban District) and 1 April 1931 (parts of the Parishes of Solihull, Castle Bromwich, Minworth and Sheldon). By 1972, there were 39 Wards each represented by an alderman and three councillors, a total of 156 members.

A major national re-organisation of local government was implemented in 1974 and saw the City of Birmingham being combined with the Borough of Sutton Coldfield to form the new Birmingham District Council consisting of 42 Wards each with 3 elected Councillors (in 1982 the number of Wards was reduced to 39). On 1 July 1986, the title was changed to Birmingham City Council. Part of Bromsgrove District known as Frankley and Kitwell Estates was added to the City on 1 April 1995. A review of the Ward boundaries on 10 June 2004 resulted in an increase from 39 Wards to 40 Wards.[9]

On 5 September 2023, Birmingham City Council issued a Section 114 notice, effectively a bankruptcy,[10] and is to stop all future spending with the exception of money for statutory services including the protection of vulnerable people. The leader of the Labour authority stated that the notice was a necessary step to get Birmingham back into a sound financial footing.[7]

Mike Whitby, leader of the council from June 2004 to May 2012

Sir Albert Bore, leader of the council from May 1999 to May 2004 and again from May 2012 to December 2015

John Clancy, leader of the council December 2015 to September 2017, seen in the Council House's 'Crystal Gallery

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.[13]

After the local elections on 1 May 2008, there remained no overall control, with the 120 seats divided between Conservative (49 councillors), Labour, (36), Liberal Democrat (32) and Respect (3).[14] After the 2010 elections the seats were divided between Conservative (45 councillors), Labour, (41), Liberal Democrat (31) and Respect (3).[14] 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 continued to be no overall control, with the seats divided between Conservative (39 councillors), Labour, (55), Liberal Democrat (24) and Respect (3).[14]

Labour regained overall control in May 2012, gaining 20 seats for an overall majority on the council.[15] After the 2014 election, Labour were on 77 seats, having won 22, with the Conservatives on 31, winning 14 and the Lib Dems dropping to 12 seats, having won 5.[16][17] Labour gained a further 2 seats in 2015, increasing their total to 79, gaining a seat from each of the Tories and Liberal Democrats. They won 80 seats in 2016, gaining one each from the Conservatives and Lib Dems again from their 78 before the election. Boundary changes took place in 2018 and an all-out-election took place, with Labour winning 67 seats, the Conservatives 25, the Liberal Democrats 8 and the Green Party winning one seat. Following the 2022 council election, Labour continues to hold control of the council, winning 65 seats, with the Conservative Party dropping to 22 seats, the Lib Dems gained 4 seats to go back up to 12 and the Greens won a second seat on the council.

Mark Rogers in 2014

Past chief executives have included:

• 1994 (1994) – 2001 (2001): Sir Michael Lyons
• 2002 (2002) – 2005 (2005): Lin Homer
• 2005 (2005) – 2014 (2014): Stephen Hughes[20]
• 2014 (2014) – 2017 (2017): Mark Rogers[21]
• 2017 (2017): Angela Probert (Acting)[22]
• 2017 (2017) – 2018: Stella Manzie (Interim)[22][23]
• 2018 (2018) – 2019 (2019): Dawn Baxendale[24]
• 2019 – 2020 Clive Heaphy (Acting)
• 2020 – Chris Naylor (Interim)
• 2021 – Deborah Cadman

Notable services provided and facilities managed by Birmingham City Council include:

• Library of Birmingham
• Public Library and Baths, Balsall Heath
• Birmingham Wholesale Markets
• Cemeteries
  • Brandwood End Cemetery
  • Handsworth Cemetery
  • Lodge Hill Cemetery
  • Witton Cemetery
• Council House
• Hall of Memory
• Parks
  • Brookvale Park
  • Calthorpe Park
  • Handsworth Park
  • Kings Heath Park
  • Swanshurst Park
  • Several country parks

Service Birmingham, set up in 2006, is a joint IT venture operated by Birmingham City Council and Capita under which Capita runs the city's ICT systems and council tax collection services and formerly ran its call centre. The Council and Capita have agreed to end the joint venture by March 2018.[25]

The city's museums were transferred to the independent Birmingham Museums Trust in 2012. The council sold its Ogwen Cottage Outdoor Pursuits Centre, by auction, in October 2014.

• Government of Birmingham
• Birmingham City Council elections
• Birmingham Baths Committee
• Redevelopment of Birmingham
• City Architect of Birmingham

• Birmingham City Council
• Birmingham City Council news
• Birmingham City Council on OpenlyLocal