Birmingham has a new generation of senior councilors after local elections on May 6 – and a dramatic weekend leadership challenge.
Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, appointed his new cabinet last night. Seven women and three men will make key decisions for the city over the next four years.
Councilor Ward was re-elected as leader in a tight second round of voting against challenger Waseem Zaffar on Saturday. He now hopes his “talented diverse team” will deliver the city’s “golden decade”.
Here’s what we know so far about who’s in and out of key roles:
In
Liz Clements
Moves to : Member of the transport cabinet
Liz Clements was one of two councilors who challenged Ian Ward’s leadership last week. Reports suggest her decision to run was to ensure a woman’s voice was in the debate.
The appointment can be seen both as Councilor Ward’s ambitious plans for future transport in Birmingham and for personal gain. Councilor Clements is an avid cyclist and public transport user – and her nomination could be a reward for her courageous decision to oppose him.
His appointment will be closely watched after the departure of Waseem Zaffar, and the creation of clean air zones controversial in his day.
(Photo: Brigid Jones)
Sharon Thompson
Goes from : Cabinet Member for Vulnerable Children and Families
Moves to: Housing Cabinet Member
Councilor Thompson is a veteran of Birmingham Labor politics, seen by Birmingham Labor as a pair of safe hands loyal to the party and trustworthy to come out and help out during tough political times.
Thompson was first elected in 2014 in the Soho ward before being re-elected in 2018 in the North Edgbaston ward. She has held various positions, including serving as a member of the Board’s Health Care and Social Services Oversight and Review Committee.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, she said: ‘I am delighted to be reappointed to cabinet. This is one of the most diverse cabinets in the history of Birmingham City Council and I look forward to working with my new cabinet colleagues. Of course, I will miss my former cabinet colleagues who have left the board or are no longer serving with me – I wish them well.
His appointment comes at a critical time for tenants in Birmingham, after the government approved legislation for a ‘Tenants Reform Bill’ to strengthen protections for private tenants and abolish ‘no-fault evictions’. . Birmingham also continues to suffer the fallout from HMOs – something it says it wants to sort out.
Jayne Francis
Goes from : Member of the Education, Culture and Skills Cabinet
Moves to: Member of the culture, heritage and tourism cabinet
Harbourne’s adviser moved on to a possible demotion from her previous role. But with the Commonwealth Games fast approaching and Birmingham’s supposed rise to equal London and Manchester, the adviser could very well pull off the role and make history within it.
Majid Mahmoud
Moves to: Member of the cabinet for the environment
An interesting ploy by the leader to divide transport and the environment into separate roles, Councilor Mahmood joins the cabinet, following his dramatic departure in 2019 due to the council’s handling of disputes with unions. At the time, he was unable to reconcile his socialist principles and trade unionism.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: ‘This is a new role and it reflects the vital importance of the environment to every community in Birmingham. We need to provide clean streets to every community in our city, ensuring our waste collection is reliable and frequent, and improving our recycling rates.
“The climate crisis is the biggest challenge we face as a society, and I am determined to ensure that Birmingham plays a leading role in the country by reducing our emissions and cleaning up our air.
“Birmingham has taken a big step in cleaning up our city’s toxic air, but there is still a lot of work to do. I look forward to taking on this role and would like to thank Councilor Ward for giving me his trust.
Mariam Khan
Moves to : Member of the health and social action cabinet
Councilor Khan has made a name for herself as chairwoman of the Eid Mela committee, responsible for organizing and running one of the largest Muslim cultural festivals in the country.
The Alum Rock councilor was first elected as a member of Washwood Heath in 2012 at the age of 21. She quickly became one of the most outspoken members of the council.
Her role as Cabinet Member for Health and Social Services replaces Paulette Hamilton, now MP for Erdington, following the death of MP Jack Dromey.
Yvonne Mosquito
Moves to: Member of the Finance and Resources Cabinet
Once Lord Mayor, and now in Cabinet, Councilor Mosqutio has finally set foot in Cabinet after 26 years as a member of Bordesley and Highgate Council.
The Mosquito adviser hopes to turn this role into a key position within the firm. But controversy may be on its doorstep. In 2016, she was suspended from her job as assistant crime commissioner after refusing to apologize to the family of a gunned down teenager. His unannounced visit constituted serious misconduct, an independent panel has ruled.
But in 2019, her tenure as Lord Mayor ended in good spirits when she agreed to officially open comedian Joe Lycett’s kitchen extension.
Karen McCarthy
Moves to : Member of the Cabinet for Children, Youth and the Family
Councilor McCarthy previously served as Chair of the Planning Committee. Although her role has placed her at the heart of the government’s most difficult and sensitive decisions, this new appointment would be a new challenge for her.
Outside
Paulette Hamilton
The former cabinet member for health and social care moved into greener areas as MP for Birmingham Erdington, replacing the late MP Jack Dromey.
John O’Shea
The bin leader, also known as cabinet member for Street Scenes and Parks, was unexpectedly ousted by the Liberal Democrats and lost his Acocks Green seat in this year’s local election.
Waseem Zaffar
Transport czar Waseem Zaffar, who unsuccessfully ran for Labor leader last week, has once again become an adviser to Lozells. His nomination successfully introduced a clean air zone but faced criticism in 2019 after he was billed £60,000 in legal costs for an attempt to silence a resident who accused him of domestic abuse, bigamy and dishonesty.
Shabrana Hussain
The Councilor for Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East is no longer a Cabinet Member for Housing and Neighborhoods. It’s unclear why the downgrade took place, but the recent Birmingham housing scandal may have contributed.
Tristan Chatfield
Tristan Chatfield, who previously served as a cabinet member in charge of finance and resources, resigned ahead of local elections this year.
Stay in the same position
- Brigid Jones, Deputy Chief
- John Cotton, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities
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