A number of former Labour councillors are making bids to return to Birmingham City Council benches in the forthcoming local elections next month.
The Labour Party is hoping to follow it’s success of gaining five seats in the 2010 and become the largest single party on the council.
But it will have to gain a lot of seats to seize control from the dominant Tory-Lib Dem coalition which has run the council for the last seven years.
Former Labour councillors looking to return include former deputy leader Stewart Stacey, who is standing in the Liberal Democrat stronghold of Acocks Green; and former housing chief Dennis Minnis, responsible for the failed sell-off of council houses, who is challenging in the safe Tory seat of Edgbaston.
Senior councillors defending their seats include the Tory cabinet member for housing John Lines, who seems secure in Bartley Green; and Conservative transport and regeneration chief Timothy Huxtable in Bournville.
Among councillors not defending their seats are popular Tory Peter Hollingworth, who after 51 years in Harborne is taking a well-earned rest; former Lord Mayor Mahmood Hussain who has been ousted following a bitter internal battle by Labour in East Handsworth and Lozells.
Also going are Tories Colin Hughes, who has barely attended a meeting since moving to Cheshire last summer; and Gareth Compton who stood down in Erdington after a posting offensive remarks on the Twitter website.
Currently the 120 seats are divided as follows Conservative 45, Labour 41, Lib Dem 31 and Respect 3. A total of 40 seats are being contested on May 5.
* For a full list of candidates click here(Opens as Word Document)
