Birmingham Local Conservatives Call for Cross-Party 'Group Leaders Council' to be formed to help Deliver Stability for the City
The Local Conservative Group at Birmingham City Council has proposed the creation of a new 'Group Leaders’ Council' to provide the stable, coordinated leadership the city urgently needs.
The forum would bring together the leaders of all recognised political groups and senior officers on a regular basis to tackle the city’s most pressing financial, governance, and service delivery challenges. It would operate regardless of which group holds the administration, offering a consistent framework for strategic decision-making over the coming years.
Councillor Robert Alden (Con, Erdington), Leader of the Conservative Group, said:
“Birmingham residents deserve leadership that puts the city first. At a time of continued financial pressure, service challenges and political fragmentation, no single group can deliver the scale of change required in isolation. We need structured cooperation and mature dialogue across the Council chamber, not more division.
This proposal creates a practical mechanism for early discussion of risks, shared understanding of the challenges, and collective focus on solutions. It is about ensuring the city’s leadership matches the scale of the problems we face.”
Why this matters now
Birmingham is navigating one of the most difficult periods in its history. Birmingham City Council declared itself bankrupt in 2023, faces a 17-month long bin strike, is seeing family housing being converted into exempt accommodation at record rates, destroying neighbourhoods, and has roads left with more craters than the moon.
With major financial recovery work, serious issues that need tackling, and ongoing government oversight, the city cannot afford prolonged instability or siloed decision-making.
A Group Leaders’ Council would strengthen communication, reduce unnecessary political deadlock, and help deliver the consistent direction residents expect.
The forum would not replace formal democratic accountability or Council decision-making. It would complement them by fostering a more collegiate approach to the city’s biggest issues.
Councillor Alden went on to say:
“We are committed to playing a constructive role in providing the stability and seriousness Birmingham needs. We urge all other political groups to engage positively with this proposal for the benefit of residents. Birmingham residents simply cannot afford another 4 years to be lost before the work to clean up the city takes place. Our proposal for a Group Leaders Council provides a way to reflect the fact no political party has anywhere near a majority and would allow a way forward on some of these major issues in the city to be found so that progress for residents can be made”.
Robert added "At the election Local Conservatives campaigned on the need to clean up Birmingham, the city and the Council. Creating a Group Leaders Council would be a good way to start the process of changing the culture of the way Birmingham City Council operates going forward".
