Where Birmingham's political parties stand on coalition talks following 2026 local elections

We’re approaching a month since the local elections took place in Birmingham and the city council still remains without political leadership.

The future of the authority, which serves one million people and has a budget of more than £4 billion, has been uncertain since the unprecedented election results on May 7.

Frustration over pressing issues such as the bins strike contributed to Labour losing their majority on the council as their number of seats dramatically collapsed.

But the rejection of the two-party system and fracturing of politics in the Second City meant no party had the numbers to easily step in and replace them.

In fact, no party or group on the council even have half the councillors needed for a majority, which requires 51 seats. Reform, now the largest party on the council, have 23 for instance.

With Brum’s political scene now a mishmash of parties and personalities, talks have been taking place in a bid to to form a coalition and set up a stable administration.

The appointment of a council leader was on the agenda at a meeting earlier this month but the council chamber heard from the new Lord Mayor that more time was needed to find a way forward despite “positive talks” taking place.

With the city still without political leadership then, here are the stances of various parties and group leaders when it comes to these critical coalition talks.

Greens and Liberal Democrats

The Greens and Liberal Democrats said recently that they were working with a newly formed group of independents “to create a sustainable administration”.

Coun Julien Pritchard (Green group leader), Coun Roger Harmer (Lib Dem group leader) and Coun Harris Khaliq (Better Birmingham Independent group leader) released a statement saying: “We understand there are still many questions about the council’s leadership.

“As Leaders of the Green, Liberal Democrat, and Better Birmingham Groups we are making clear our commitment to come together for a safer, greener and fairer city.

“We are working to create a sustainable administration to serve Birmingham’s residents.

“We call on other councillors who share our aim of a fairer city to support us.

“We are working hard to finalise an agreement soon, so we can give the leadership the council and the city deserves.”

Reform UK

Reform, the largest party on Birmingham Council, confirmed in the days following the local elections that they would be “unable to form an administration”.

“The results in Birmingham are historic,” Reform group leader Coun Jex Parkin said. “From a standing start, Reform UK is now the largest party on Birmingham City Council.

“Voters are clearly demanding radical change. Although we are the largest party, other groups have made it clear that they refuse to work with us, meaning there is no viable route for Reform to take control of the council.

“Given that Birmingham has also clearly elected a left-wing majority, we have accepted that we will unfortunately be unable to form an administration.

“We are committed to being a constructive opposition, ensuring the new leadership is effectively scrutinised in order to get our city back on track.”

Labour

The new leader of Birmingham Labour, Coun Nicky Brennan, also confirmed earlier this month that their group would not be part of a coalition and committed to being ‘constructive opposition’ like Reform.

“We understand that voters are frustrated by the pace of change,” Coun Brennan said. “We respect the outcome of the election and the message voters have sent. Now is the time for us to reflect carefully on the result, listen to residents, and rebuild trust and support with our communities.

“For that reason, our group will not be entering into any coalition agreement or power-sharing arrangement with other parties.

“We will continue to serve residents constructively from the opposition benches, holding the new administration to account where necessary while supporting decisions that are in the best interests of the city and its residents.”

Conservative

The Conservative Group meanwhile has proposed the creation of a new ‘Group Leaders’ Council’ in a bid to provide the ‘stable and coordinated leadership the city urgently needs’.

The party says the forum would bring together the leaders of all recognised political groups and senior officers on a regular basis to tackle the city’s most pressing challenges.

They continued that it would operate regardless of which group holds the administration, offering a ‘consistent framework’ for strategic decision-making over the coming years.

Coun Robert Alden, leader of the Conservative group, said: “Birmingham residents deserve leadership that puts the city first.

“At a time of continued financial pressure, service challenges and political fragmentation, no single group can deliver the scale of change required in isolation.

“We need structured cooperation and mature dialogue across the council chamber, not more division.”

“This proposal creates a practical mechanism for early discussion of risks, shared understanding of the challenges, and collective focus on solutions,” he added.

“It is about ensuring the city’s leadership matches the scale of the problems we face.

“We are committed to playing a constructive role in providing the stability and seriousness Birmingham needs – we urge all other political groups to engage positively with this proposal for the benefit of residents.”

The political makeup of the council following the elections was as follows:

• Reform UK – 23
• Green Party – 19
• Labour – 17
• Conservative – 16
• Independents – 13
• Liberal Democrats – 12
• Workers Party – 1