Birmingham City Council under no overall control after local elections
Not all wards have been called yet with the former leader's seat yet to be announced
Last updated 4 hours ago
Labour's lost control of Birmingham City Council after 14 years in charge.
No overall party has the majority now.
Results for one more ward - that of the former leader John Cotton - is yet to come in but won't be called until Monday.
Speaking to the media at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena after it became clear Labour’s vote share had collapsed, Mr Cotton said his administration had made difficult decisions to bring the city’s finances back into balance, and touched on the bin strikes.
He said: “I would encourage the next administration to build on those foundations and not to engage in acts that would take us back to some of the mistakes that have dogged Birmingham in the past.
“Around a week or so ago I set out the terms of a deal that I believe will bring these strikes to a close. Whoever occupies the leader’s chair, as I move away from it… needs to ensure they take that deal through as a priority.
“So we can bring this to a close and the people of Birmingham get the bin service they deserve.”
The bitter 14-month disagreement on pay and jobs led to rubbish piling up on the streets and residents complaining it was a health hazard.
Meanwhile, the Home Secretary has described it as “a devastating night in Birmingham and across the country”.
Counting votes for the remaining places on Birmingham City Council was halted with no overall control amid a five-party split on Friday night.
Shabana Mahmood, the Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood since 2010, said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “has rightly said we must do better”.
With two of the 101 seats remaining to be decided, Reform had won 22 seats, Green Party 19, Labour 17, Conservatives 16, independents 13 and Liberal Democrats 12.
Each fell well short of the 51 seats for a majority.
Returning officer Rob Connelly confirmed that the count in the remaining ward would resume on Monday.
Late on Friday the Home Secretary posted on X: “A devastating night in Birmingham and across the country.
“Good public servants, colleagues and friends have lost their seats.”
She added: “This was a verdict on us not them. The PM has rightly said we must do better.
“It is a privilege to serve the British people and we must live up to it.”
The undeclared Glebe Farm and Tile Cross ward is understood to have gone to several recounts.