Labour appoints new leader of Birmingham City Council after damning internal report

Councillor Ian Ward will be removed from his role as head of the UK's largest local authority and replaced by Councillor John Cotton, while Councillor Sharon Thompson has been made his deputy.

Labour's governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), has selected Councillor Cotton and Councillor Thompson for the roles in the wake of a damning internal report which found the council to be "dysfunctional".

Referencing misogynistic and racist incidents, the report also accused the leadership of the Labour-run council of "too much looking inwards, rather than being outward-facing to the electorate".

Councillor Jack Deakin. for Birmingham's Allens Cross ward congratulated,Councillor Cotton and Councillor Thompson on his social media pages, saying: "Huge congratulations to John Cotton and Sharon Thompson - new Leader and Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council.

"I look forward to working with them both for the benefit of our residents.

"With Conservative austerity impacting on 60 per cent of our controllable budget, it's vital we work to #GetTheBasicsRight and I'm confident John and Sharon will deliver that."

However, other members of the party have been less jubilant about the controversial move to usurp Councillor Ward.

Liz Clements, councillor for the Bourneville and Cotteridge ward and cabinet member for transport, said on Thursday: "I oppose NEC's decision to impose leader on Birmingham Labour Group. Labour is a democratic party.

"As Birmingham Labour councillors, we have the right to elect our leader. Anyone who thinks they can do better job than Ian Ward should challenge him in an election, he will stand on his record."

On Sunday she added: "At the end of a week when Keir Starmer has given speeches about devolution and empowering councils, Labour NEC has just staged a coup in Birmingham, removing the democratically elected leader and deputy 'eader.

"The battle is now on to restore democracy to our group."

Selly Oak MP Steve McCabe has also condemned the plans to replace Councillor Ward, deeming them a "putsch" and urging Keir Starmer to put a stop to the process.

In a series of tweets posted on Wednesday, Mr McCabe said: "I've been around Birmingham politics a long time and witnessed many stupid and vindictive things but this takes the biscuit.

"Keir Starmer should halt it now. It's a putsch mounted by people almost entirely dependent on his patronage. Birmingham is the loser."

Mr McCabe said some parts of the report were clear and others less so, adding: "Criticisms should be shared with everyone concentrating on improvement. That's what we were promised, not a hatchet job."

The MP told the PA news agency: "The only way this disaster is going to be brought to an end without it creating more damage is for the leader of the Labour Party to step in and put a halt to it."

Mr Ward has done a "decent job" as city council leader in very difficult circumstances, Mr McCabe said, adding: "And that is part of what is wrong with the report.

"Only last year he was getting praised for the wonderful delivery of the Commonwealth Games and that doesn't merit a sentence in the report."