Massive Labour shakeup in Birmingham as party pushes out veteran councillors

Birmingham's Labour Group found out today if they have been selected today to stand in 2026 with some shocks

Evening - some news for you. The Labour Party is busy preparing for the 2026 local elections, when it is set to face the fight of its life to hang on to power at Birmingham City Council.

It has today told around a dozen councillors in Birmingham that they are not part of their plans and have been deselected.

It’s a move that’s caused anger and confusion. Some knew the writing was on the wall - but for others it’s been a shock.

The group is meeting in the city centre tonight, with the decisions likely to be top of the agenda. Oh to be a fly on the wall….(and councillors, you know how to reach me if you want to chat).

What’s going on?

Every sitting councillor and any newcomers eager to stand for the council next May for Labour had to apply for the role to a panel/sub committee of Labour’s National Executive Committee.

The process included scrutiny of their attendance and campaigning record and an interview before the panel.

Their social media output and news stories about them would also have been scrutinised.

No local members were allowed to take part in the selection process, with the traditional selection meetings eschewed in favour of topdown control.

That’s because the local group had its right to select its own leaders, and candidates, taken off it by the national party in 2023, after the findings of a Labour Campaign Improvement Board led by Sir Richard Leese and Baroness Alicia Kennedy.

It found the group was dysfunctional and factional, with evidence of toxicity and bullying. The council has been in the party political equivalent of special measures since.

And despite the party praising its imposed leadership team since, it has refused to lift restrictions on it.

There’s also been the small matter of financial implosion and a six month bin strike to throw into the mix. The council signalled its financial distress in late 2023 through two Section 114 notices, and is under the oversight of government appointed commissioners.

Who is in and who is out?

Among the affected councillors, according to multiple inside sources, are recent Lord Mayor Chaman Lal, who represents Soho and Jewellery Quarter, and joined the council in 1994, enjoying 31 years of unbroken service since.

A lifelong equality activist, he was said to be devastated by the decision.

Former audit committee chairman Fred Grindrod, of Bournville and Cotteridge, has also been ousted. His friend and colleague Liz Clements - who is standing down by choice from the council - said it was a confusing decision given Grindrod's efforts on behalf of his ward and his commitment to the Labour Party over many years.

"I am perplexed, he has stood up for people in his neighbourhoods and sacrificed a lot of time and energy to the Labour cause," she said.

Barbara Dring, Oscott, who joined the council in 2004, was told her services would no longer be required and they had not been selected.

Also told they are not welcome to stand for Labour was Councillor David Barker, Brandswood and Kings Heath, who was said to be in the dark about the decision making process.

An insider said of his deselection: "He hasn't been given any explanation and there is no right to appeal. It appears that anyone who has ever challenged the party, even internally, is being punished.”

It was a similar story from another ousted councillor, who said they were ‘angry’ but thought their health would improve as a result. “The last two years has been a horribly stressful time so in a way I feel a weight off my shoulders.”

Jane Jones and Amar Khan, both Stockland Green, Gurdial Singh Atwal, Handsworth Wood, Hendrina Quinnen, Handsworth, Rinkal Shergill, Holyhead, and Mahmood Hussain, Birchfield have also been axed, according to multiple leaks from inside the group.

Khan had run his own exempt supported housing company in Stockland Green prior to his election.

Veteran Ziaul Islam, Newtown, and Basharat Mahmood, Pype Hayes, were also told their fate.

Veteran councillor Mohammed Idrees, Alum Rock, a councillor for 24 years, sent an email to his Labour colleagues earlier this month to say he was now retiring. In his email, he stated he was standing aside to let someone else represent Alum Rock.

He wrote: ‘Since May 2002, I had the distinct honour of representing the people of Nechells, Washwood Heath and following boundary changes in 2018 Alum Rock Wards.

“Next January I will attain my pension age and I feel its appropriate for me to pave the way for someone else to represent the great residents of Alum Rock from May 2026.

“I cannot find words to express my love and affection to my constituents who elected me in 7 consecutive elections since 2002 with some of the highest votes and majorities in Birmingham. I want to dedicate my remaining life to my family and friends.”

Fellow veteran councillor Yvonne Mosquito has also clarified to colleagues that she did not seek selection.

All of the council's current Cabinet, except for deputy leader Sharon Thompson who resigned her position last week, have been selected and intend to fight on, defending the council's record to the electorate after two years of turmoil.

At least one cabinet member - Nicky Brennan, currently housing lead - is understood to be shifting wards to more ‘winnable’ seats. Currently representing Sparkhill (expected to get a big Gaza Independents vote), she is said to be standing next in Bournville and Cotteridge.

Among the prominent councillors who have retained the party's support are Saqib Khan, who twice breached the council’s code of conduct in his interactions with councillor Shabina Bano, including over a claim he pressured her to vote for fellow councillor Waseem Zaffar as group leader. He was reprimanded and ordered to undergo 'code of conduct' training.

One Labour councillor not affected by the deselections said the party needed to explain how it had reached its decisions.

"There has been no local democracy involved, it is almost kafkaesque how these decisions have been reached without being clear about the criteria people are being judged against. It seems to be a trait of the party now."

But one insider said some of those affected deserved to go. "Being a councillor is not a right, and some people seem to think it was a foregone conclusion that they would be selected again. In some cases this will definitely turn out to be the best outcome."

Another said that it appeared that any councillors who had spoken out on issues like the library closures proposals and other cuts had been targeted.

One successful candidate said that, while disappointed that some friends were losing out, the focus had to be on successfully holding seats next May. "A lot of talented people have been selected with a diversity of backgrounds, bringing some new skills and outlooks into the group."

In the meantime those deselected or who have announced they are standing down will all remain as Labour councillors until next May, unless they defect, and will be expected to support their replacement candidates during the local election campaign.

Some of those affected are said to be considering standing as independent candidates. Two former Labour members, Sam Forsyth, Quinton, and Martin Brookes, Harborne, have already quit and could be the catalyst for more to join them.

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Being an elected councillor comes with an allowance of just over £19,000 a year, with additional payments for special responsibilities.

An array of Independents, some on a pro-Palestine platform, and a refreshed Conservative Party, a surging Reform, a popular Lib Dems group and the Greens all looking to take control of the beleaguered council next May.

The Labour Party declined to comment, advising that it would only provide details of its choice of candidates for 2026 after it had received acceptances from all those offered a role, likely later this week.

It also declined the opportunity to explain its selection process.

The announcements come in the week that the Labour Party's links with its key union Unite are in the spotlight. The union's members voted to suspend 20 city councillors from the union over the handling of the bin strike that's blighted the city for over six months. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was also suspended, though she has said she quit her membership three months ago.

The full list of who is in, who is out, and who chose not to stand for selection:

Aklaq Ahmed, Hall Green North - IN

Saima Ahmed, Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East - IN

Gurdial Singh Atwal, Handsworth Wood - OUT

Raqeeb Aziz, Bordesley Green - IN

David Barker, Brandswood and Kings Heath - OUT

Jilly Bermingham, Perry Common - IN

Marcus Bernsasconi, North Edgbaston - IN

Bushra Bi, Ward End (but switching to Sparkhill ward) - IN

Sir Albert Bore, Ladywood - OUT (stood down)

Nicky Brennan, Sparkhill (but switching to Bournville and Cotteridge) - IN

Marje Bridle, Glebe Farm and Tile Cross - IN

Mick Brown, Gravelly Hill - IN

Liz Clements, Bournville and Cotteridge - OUT (stood down)

Carmel Corrigan, Kings Norton North - IN

John Cotton, Glebe Farm and Tile Cross - IN

Philip Davis, Billesley - OUT (stood down)

Jack Deakin, Allens Cross - OUT (stood down)

Diane Donaldson, Bromford and Hodge Hill - IN

Barbara Dring, Oscott - OUT (may have stood down)

Jayne Francis, Harborne - IN

Ray Goodwin, Castle Vale - IN

Fred Grindrod, Bournville and Cotteridge - OUT

Kath Hartley, Ladywood - OUT (stood down)

Des Hughes, Kingstanding - OUT (stood down)

Mahmood Hussain, Birchfield - OUT

Shabrana Hussain, Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East (switching to Stockland Green) - IN

Mohammed Idrees, Alum Rock - OUT (stood down)

Zafar Iqbal, Tyseley and Hay Mills - OUT (stood down)

Katherine Iroh, Billesley - IN

Ziaul Islam, Newtown - OUT

Kerry Jenkins, Moseley - Not confirmed

Jane Jones, Stockland Green - OUT

Amar Khan, Stockland Green - OUT

Mariam Khan, Alum Rock - IN

Saqib Khan, Small Heath - IN

Narinder Kooner, Handsworth Wood - IN

Chaman Lal, Soho and Jewellery Quarter - OUT

Mary Locke, Stirchley - IN

Basharat Mahmood, Pype Hayes - OUT

Majid Mahmood, Bromford and Hodge Hill - IN

Rashad Mahmood, Sparkhill - IN

Lee Marsham, Nechells - IN

Karen McCarthy, Bournbrook and Selly Park - IN

Saddak Miah, Garretts Green - IN

Shehla Moledina, Balsall Heath West - IN

Yvonne Mosquito, Bordesley and Highgate - OUT (stood down)

Miranda Perks, Weoley and Selly Oak - OUT (stood down)

Rob Pocock, Sutton Vesey - IN

Hendrina Quinnen, Handsworth - OUT

Esther Rai, Northfield - IN

Lauren Rainbow, Quinton - OUT (stood down)

Jamie Scott, Bournbrook and Selly Park - IN

Kath Scott, Sutton Vesey - IN

Shafique Shah, Heartlands - IN

Rinkal Shergill, Holyhead - OUT

Sybil Spence, Soho and Jewellery Quarter - OUT (stood down)

Saima Suleman, Hall Green North - IN

Jamie Tennant, Weoley and Selly Oak - IN

Sharon Thompson, North Edgbaston - OUT (stood down)

Lisa Trickett, Brandwood and Kings Heath - IN

Ian Ward, Shard End - OUT (stood down)

Waseem Zaffar, Lozells - IN

If you’ve got any insider intel to share, you know where I am. I’ve been the city’s politics and people editor for Birmingham Live and the Birmingham Mail for six years. Get in touch by email jane.haynes@reachplc.com in confidence.

Have a good week. All the best.

PS: There have been two important updates since this was originally written to reflect that one councillor, Kath Scott, was not intending to stand down as I previously stated and did in fact apply and was selected.

And friends of Mohammed Idrees got in touch to say he had sent a group email recently to say he was retiring from the council next May after over 20 years service. As a result it was wrong to say he was deselected - he had chosen to go, they said. The content has been updated to reflect these updates. Apologies to the councillors involved.

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