The 2026 local elections have completely reshaped Birmingham City Council.
For the first time in many years, no single political party has enough councillors to run the council alone. The result is what’s known as No Overall Control (NOC), also sometimes called a “hung council”.
But while the phrase sounds dramatic, it does not mean the council stops functioning. Birmingham City Council still exists, services still operate, and councillors still have responsibilities. What changes is how political decisions get made.
The final result left Birmingham politically fragmented across six major groups:
Reform UK - 22 seats
Greens - 18 seats
Conservatives - 16 seats
Labour - 16 seats
Independents - 13 seats
Liberal Democrats - 12 seats
No party is remotely close to the 51 seats needed for a majority on the 101-seat council.
That means Birmingham is now entering a period of negotiations, coalition discussions, and political bargaining.
Normally, a council is run by the party with more than half the councillors.
In Birmingham, no party has enough seats to govern alone, meaning groups now need to work together to:
Technically, a minority administration is possible, where one party attempts to govern alone while negotiating support issue-by-issue.
But given how evenly split Birmingham now is, and how politically different the groups are, that is highly unlikely. Some form of coalition or cooperation agreement is now the most realistic outcome.
One important thing to understand is that the council itself does not disappear. Its staff still show up to work, it still provides services (of varying quality), there isn't a 'shut down'. However if there is no clear governing party or coalition of parties this becomes more difficult.
This is because most ,councillors do not directly run council departments day-to-day. Their main role is to:
The operational running of the council continues through council officers and senior management.
In Birmingham’s case, that also includes the government-appointed commissioners who remain in place following the council’s financial crisis.
Over the coming days and weeks:
The first major deadline is the council’s annual meeting later this month, where parties will attempt to establish who governs the city.
At the moment, there is no obvious natural majority coalition.
A more progressive arrangement could involve:
This would likely focus on public services, environmental policy, transport, and neighbourhood investment, though there are still major differences between those groups.
A more right-leaning arrangement could involve:
This would likely focus more heavily on council reform, spending restraint, opposition to traffic restrictions, and criticism of the existing council structure.
There is also the possibility of looser agreements rather than a formal coalition, with parties supporting each other on specific votes while remaining separate politically. The challenge with this option is that Birmingham’s political map is now highly fragmented, meaning almost every major decision may require negotiation.
While local politics is often more practical than national politics, the different groups broadly represent very different priorities for Birmingham’s future.
Reform ran heavily on anti-establishment politics, criticism of the existing council, reducing spending, and opposition to policies seen as overly bureaucratic or restrictive.
The Greens focused on public transport, walking and cycling, environmental improvements, safer streets, and community-led regeneration.
Labour traditionally prioritises public services, regeneration, housing, and city-wide strategic investment, but enters this election weakened by association with Birmingham’s financial crisis.
The Conservatives generally focus on financial restraint, business-led regeneration, reducing waste, and support for motorists and parking access.
The Liberal Democrats position themselves around localism, neighbourhood decision-making and moderate reform.
The Independents are a mixed group elected on a range of local and international issues with many being allied to George Galloways Workers party and opposition to the war in Palestine.
For the Jewellery Quarter, the biggest impact is likely to be slower and more uncertain decision-making.
Areas likely to be affected include:
When councils are politically divided, large projects can take longer to approve because support has to be negotiated across multiple groups.
Budgets may also become harder to pass, particularly while Birmingham remains under severe financial pressure.
However, No Overall Control can also create opportunities for organised neighbourhoods and resident groups. When no single party dominates, local campaigning and community pressure can sometimes carry more weight.
That may make strong local organisations and resident voices increasingly important over the next few years. The Neighbourhood Forum is planning on working more closely with our partners the Jewellery Quarter BID, local councillors, and local Universities to identify what we can do make our voice heard above the noise.
Find information about living in the Jewellery Quarter, local campaigns, issues and news.
