Politics

Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in the UK with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 councillors representing just under one million people, in 40 wards.

After the election of 10 June 2004, there is no overall control, with the 120 seats being divided between the Labour, (46 councillors), Conservative (40) and Liberal Democrat ("Lib-Dem", 30) parties, with 4 Others.

There is a Conservative/Lib-Dem coalition, with Conservative group leader Mike Whitby as Leader of the council and Lib-Dem group leader Paul Tilsley as Deputy Leader.

Birmingham’s eleven constituencies are represented in the House of Commons by one Conservative, one Liberal Democrat, and 9 Labour MPs. An elections scandal in mid-2005 saw three candidtates of the currently ruling Labour party being accused of rigging postal votes. The rigged votes were made mostly on behalf of the large Asian community in certain areas of the city. The acussed have been called to trial.

Birmingham is also the seat of the Government Office for the West Midlands region.