Birmingham Local Conservatives have issued a call for 23 Labour councillors to resign their Unite union membership, citing a glaring conflict of interest as the union’s bin strike cripples the city. This conflict was seen in a recent Council debate, when 19 of these councillors voted to block a debate on ending the strike. In light of this, Councillor Parkin (Con, Sutton Reddicap) has lodged a formal standards complaint against 19 of these councillors for voting to block a council debate on ending the strike without declaring their Unite ties - an apparent breach of the councillor code of conduct. Both actions spotlight a bitter clash within Labour’s ranks, pitting the council against its union allies while residents suffer the fallout.
Since January 2025, Unite’s refuse worker strike, escalated to an all-out walkout by March 11, has left Birmingham drowning in 21,000 tonnes of uncollected waste, threatening public health, local businesses, and the city’s reputation. Yet, 23 Labour councillors – all Unite members - including the Council Leader, 3 other cabinet members, and the chief whip, are accused of sitting on the fence, torn between their union loyalty and duty to 1.1 million residents.
In a letter to the councillors, Cllr Parkin argues their dual roles create an unacceptable conflict. Cllr Parkin said:
How can they represent residents fairly when they’re card-carrying members of the union holding our city hostage? Resigning from Unite would show they put Birmingham first, not their Labour family’s internal battles.
The strike’s chaos - piles of rubbish, rat infestations, and shuttered businesses -underscores the need for impartial leadership, not divided allegiances.
The standards complaint, filed with the council’s Monitoring Officer, goes further. It alleges 19 of these councillors crossed an ethical line by voting in a recent meeting to block debate on ending the strike, without disclosing their Unite membership or seeking permission to participate. Under council rules, union ties are a registrable interest, and failing to declare them at a meeting relevant to this risks perceptions of bias.
At the Council meeting on 8 April, when the Conservative Group moved a motion on declaring a public health emergency and asking the council to adopt a plan to end the strike, Unite Member and Council Leader John Cotton moved a proposal to skip the item and not vote on it. All Labour Councillors present, including 19 Unite Members, followed the Whip and voted to block the debate.
These councillors shut down a chance to solve this crisis, all while hiding their union links
Councillor Parkin said.
It’s not just a technical slip, it is a betrayal of trust when Birmingham is on its knees.
The clash between Labour-run Birmingham City Council and Unite, a key Labour supporter and funder, reveals a deeper rift. While councillors and the union bicker, residents navigate uncollected bins and spiralling costs, with the council’s 2023 bankruptcy looming large. The complaint demands an investigation into whether the 19 councillors breached the Code of Conduct, calling for sanctions if this is found to be the case. Meanwhile, the resignation letter urges all 23 to cut Unite ties to restore public faith.
Cllr Parkin concluded:
Birmingham deserves leaders who act for us, not for their union or party squabbles. This strike’s damage - financial, social, environmental, and reputational - is too great for councillors to straddle both sides. It’s time to choose: Birmingham or Unite.
The Conservative Group awaits responses from the councillors and the Monitoring Officer, with hopes of swift action to end the crisis and rebuild trust.
