Birmingham City Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Birmingham, UK City Council | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | |
| Type | Metropolitan district council of Birmingham |
| Leadership | |
| Leader | Mike Whitby, Conservative |
| Structure | |
| Members | 121 |
| Election | |
| Voting system | First past the post |
| Last election | 1 May 2008 |
| Meeting place | |
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| Council House, Birmingham | |
| Website | |
| http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/ | |
Birmingham City Council is the metropolitan borough council for the City of Birmingham in England. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom (excluding counties) with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 121 Birmingham City councillors representing over one million people, in 40 wards. 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, which each have a constituency committee made up of councillors from that district.
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[edit] Political control
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, Judge Richard Mawrey (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.[1]
After the local elections on 1 May 2008, there remains no overall control, with the 120 seats being divided between the Conservative (49 councillors), Labour, (36), Liberal Democrat (32) parties and Respect (3).[2] 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.
| Year | Conservatives | Labour | Liberal Democrats | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
[edit] Wards
Following the June 2004 reorganisation, Birmingham's 40 wards are:
- Acocks Green, Aston
- Bartley Green, Billesley, Bordesley Green, Bournville, Brandwood
- Edgbaston, Erdington
- Hall Green, Handsworth Wood, Harborne, Hodge Hill
- Kings Norton, Kingstanding
- Ladywood, Longbridge, Lozells and East Handsworth
- Moseley and Kings Heath
- Nechells, Northfield
- Oscott
- Perry Barr
- Quinton
- Selly Oak, Shard End, Sheldon, Soho, South Yardley, Sparkbrook, Springfield, Stechford and Yardley North, Stockland Green, Sutton Four Oaks, Sutton New Hall, Sutton Trinity, Sutton Vesey
- Tyburn
- Washwood Heath, Weoley
[edit] Council constituencies
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:
- Edgbaston
- Erdington
- Hall Green
- Hodge Hill
- Ladywood
- Northfield
- Perry Barr
- Selly Oak
- Sutton Coldfield
- Yardley
